Can You Love Me Again?
by jasminesandlillies
Summary: Klaus is in New Orleans fighting for dominance and facing impending fatherhood and Caroline has disappeared without a trace. After spending so much time apart, can they ever make a relationship work? Klaus's daughter seems to think so and she's determined to find Caroline and have a family again.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own TVD but wish I did. This is a new story for me so I hope you like it :) I'm also writing The Journey as well so have a look at that if you fancy it!**

**Happy reading!**

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"Daddy, tell me the story of Golden Girl again, please."

The little girl was tucked up in bed, almost on the verge of sleep but her father knew that she would not rest until she had heard the story again. Although he couldn't help but tease her first.

"Are you talking about Camille, sweetheart?" Klaus asked with a grin.

"Not the drinks lady, Daddy." The little girl frowned at him, clasping her teddy bear tighter to her chest. How could he think she was talking about the nice lady who snuck her Coca-Cola when her Daddy wasn't looking? She loved Coca-Cola but she couldn't have that much of it. That's why Camille was her third favourite blonde lady. She always gave her Coca-Cola whenever she asked which always wound her Daddy up.

"Auntie Rebekah?"

"No, Daddy! Bekah has told me all her stories. I want the one about the girl with the golden hair!"

The little girl was giving her father a full on glare at this point and Klaus could not help laughing at her which made her frown deepen.

"Okay, Lily. I will tell you the story of the girl with the golden hair but only if you stop frowning at me. You don't want frown lines when you are only six."

Lily beamed up at him in response and patted the bed next to her, urging him to sit beside her which he did. Her ice blue eyes were shining with excitement as Klaus circled his arm around her and begun to tell his tale.

"There once was a girl who was very, very sick. She had been bitten by a creature that had poisonous teeth and she was going to die. She had the most beautiful golden hair that fell in curls around her head. The creature that had hurt her thought himself in love with her and so he searched for a way to save her. Eventually, he found a cure for the poison that was in her body but he wasn't sure if the man who had the cure would give it to her."

Lily whimpered a little at this point, snuggling closer to Klaus who gazed at with unadulterated affection. She always got scared around this part even if she had heard the story a thousand times before.

"The man decided to make a deal with the creature and the girl's mother so that he would give her the cure. The creature had to serve the man for all eternity and the mother had to protect him with the rest of the town who wanted to hurt him. They both agreed and so the man went to the girl's bedroom to give her the cure. He didn't know what to expect but he hadn't expected what he saw that night."

Lily giggled knowing what was coming next. She loved her Daddy's description of Golden Girl.

"The man saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and this was really saying something as he had been around for a very, very long time. The girl had the biggest, blue eyes and shiny blonde hair and rosy red lips. He knew that if she smiled it would brighten up the room. He would have done anything to make her smile but she couldn't because she was in too much pain. He hated seeing her hurting which he thought was strange because he had never cared about anyone being hurt before. This girl made him feel things he hadn't felt in years and he wanted to help her but only if she wanted to be helped, of course. The girl was stubborn; she didn't want his help as she thought she could take care of herself. She also hated him with every bit of her being. He was a monster, she said to herself. He's hurt my friends and he's hurt me. Why would he want to help me? The girl was confused by the act of kindness he was showing her and she thought it was a trick!"

Lily gasped exactly like the first time Klaus had told her this story and he loved that his daughter had such a vivid imagination that she got lost in the story every time he told it to her. It made him even more fond of the memories.

"Was it a trick, Daddy?" Lily asked. She asked this question every time and Klaus never knew what the answer was. Originally, it had been a trick. Just a ploy to get into the good graces of the people of Mystic Falls but as time had worn on he began to realise that perhaps he had always wanted to save the girl with the sad, sad eyes.

"The man thought it was a trick at the time, sweetheart, but as time went by he realised that it had never been a trick at all. Now, do you want me to finish the story, Lily?"

The little girl nodded vigorously.

"Secretly, the man wanted the girl to get better and so he tried to convince her to take the cure he was offering. He told her all about the things that the world has to offer such as art and music and he told her that one day she could have it all. All she had to do was ask."

"Did she ask for it, Daddy?" Lily asked sleepily. Somehow she always forgot what the ending to the story was. Perhaps it was because she didn't really like the ending.

"She said that she didn't want to die and so the man gave her the secret potion that could save her life. He didn't just save anyone's life but he knew that this girl was special and he wanted to help her. Soon after, the girl fell asleep to give the potion time to heal her and the man got up to leave. As he left, he turned to look at the girl that he had saved and he was once again struck by her beauty. From that day on, he always called her Golden Girl in his head because he thought that she was absolutely perfect. The man wanted this girl to love him but knew that she was too light and happy to fall in love with him and so he left her a present so that he could be with her always. The present was a bracelet that sparkled and shined almost as much as Golden Girl did."

"The man left her." It wasn't a question; Lily knew the part of this story too well.

"Yes, he left her after that." Klaus sighed.

"Why did he leave her, Daddy? He loves her."

"Yes he does but he was needed somewhere else. Now are you going to go to sleep?"

Lily nodded sleepily as Klaus kissed her forehead and turned to leave the room. A small voice stopped him though.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Are you the man who saved Golden Girl?"

Klaus stiffened. She had never asked him that before. Normally it was always questions about her beauty but he blamed Rebekah for that having instilled a love of Disney princesses in his daughter.

"I am." He finally answered.

"Do you love her?" Lily whispered.

"I do." Klaus's voice was infused with such sadness that Lily couldn't help but feel bad for her father.

"Does she love you?"

"I think...she could have loved me."

"I'm sorry, Daddy." Lily whispered, hiding underneath her duvet.

"What on earth for, sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry you had to leave her."

Klaus smiled sadly.

"It's okay, I still have you." He said.

"Yeah you do! Night, night, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Lily."

For the second time that night, Klaus tried to exit the bedroom.

"Wait! What was her name?" Lily asked curiously.

"Caroline." Klaus whispered as he closed the door.

Lily lay awake for a while after that, thinking about the story her dad had told her a thousand times but thinking about it in a different way. As she finally drifted off to sleep she made a vow to herself.

One day she would find Caroline and bring her home to Daddy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! If you're reading this thanks for sticking with me! In this chapter we see what happened between Klaus and Caroline after graduation. This story is mostly told from Lily's point of view after this but stick with me guys. I will eventually make Klaroline happen!**

**Don't own TVD :( Enjoy!**

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Klaus went to check on his daughter a few hours later and was relieved to see that she had finally fallen asleep.

He was not surprised that she had asked for the Golden Girl story before she fell asleep. It was her favourite story and she loved the way he told it and he was the only one who told it to her. Hayley had been completely blindsided when Lily had asked her to tell the story. Of course, she knew how Klaus felt for the girl but she hadn't expected him to make their daughter aware of Caroline's existence. Hayley flat out refused to tell the story to Lily because it reminded her too much of Tyler and Hayley found it difficult to cope with the fact that he had chosen Caroline over her. She also found it hurt that even her daughter seemed to prefer Caroline to her.

Rebekah was a different story. When Lily had requested the story from her whilst Klaus was away dealing with business, Rebekah hadn't had a clue what it was about. Lily's explanation had worried her and after settling the little girl down for night, she had called for Elijah right away. The siblings had quickly deduced that their brother was very much in love with the blonde baby vampire otherwise he would not have told Lily anything about her. When Klaus had returned to New Orleans, they had demanded that he told them the truth about his feelings for Caroline and the nature of their relationship.

Klaus sat nursing a glass of whiskey as he recalled the memory he had recounted to his brother and sister that night. The day that had changed everything.

**xoxoxo**

_He drove fast through the streets of the place he swore he would never return to. His birthplace, his home, __**their **__home. Mystic Falls. Supposedly a sleepy little town in Virgina. If only the residents actually knew what went on behind closed doors, what incidents their police department covered up and what the people they knew actually were._

_Klaus thought when he had left for New Orleans he would never come back to this godforsaken town but he just couldn't help himself. He found himself being pulled back to her. He tried to convince himself that he was only doing what a friend would do. Waving her off to university and wishing her a bright and happy future. Of course, deep down he knew that it was just because he wanted to see her face again and show her his proudest achievement._

_As his supernatural instincts overtook his driving, Klaus worried about what her reaction would be to his news, the picture burning a hole in his pocket. She must know by now. Katerina's surprise transition back to human would have made her angry, bitter and spiteful. She would have hit out at Caroline because she was an easy target. Although she put on a strong front, underneath Caroline hurt more than most. _

_Yes, she would know by now. _

_Klaus was surprised to find himself in front of her house. He had been so caught up in his inner thoughts that he hadn't even registered how far away he was from her. It was to be a flying visit. A quick goodbye and good luck and then he would be gone._

_Her voice suddenly shook him from his thoughts and he watched in awe as she opened the door, dragging a suitcase behind her shouting to her mother._

"_I love you mum! I'll call you when I get there." _

_He heard her mother's faint reply but his attention was focussed almost solely on her._

_She was halfway down the footpath to her house, sunshine curls flying, before she even realised he was there. When she caught sight of him, she stopped dead in her tracks._

"_Klaus." She breathed._

_His heart sang when she said his name. He loved the way it tumbled freely from her lips, her mouth forming the word perfectly, spoken with care. Oh, how he had missed hearing her voice. _

"_Hello, Caroline."_

"_What are you doing here?" _

"_I thought perhaps I could drive you to the airport. You start university next week, correct?"_

_A look of guilt flashed across Caroline's face but it was gone so quickly Klaus couldn't be sure if it was really there._

"_Um, yeah. Sure, that would be helpful." She offered him a small smile before climbing into the passenger seat of his SUV, allowing him to place her luggage carefully on the back seat._

_The drive to the airport was silent and awkward between them. It was also surprisingly quick and soon, much too soon, they were pulling into the car park and unloading her luggage. They stood awkwardly across from each other, Caroline inching slowly towards the entrance._

"_Well, thanks. I better go..." Caroline said gesturing towards the building. She turned away from him, her hand firmly grasping the handle to her suitcase._

"_Wait!" Klaus cried, grasping her arm. She stiffened at his touch but didn't flinch away._

"_I know, Klaus. You don't have to say it." Her back was still turned to him. He couldn't read her reaction at all._

"_You know?" Klaus cursed himself for saying it. Of course she knew!_

"_Yes, I know. I know that you're a dad and I know that Hayley is the mother of your child." She turned around to face him with the saddest smile he had ever seen fixed in place._

"_Congratulations." She said sincerely. She didn't miss the way his eyes lit up at the mention of his baby and it hurt her. She would never be able to have what he has._

"_Thank you." He responded._

"_What is it?" Caroline asked curiously._

"_I have a daughter. Her name is Lily Mikaelson. I have a picture." _

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. It was a picture of him holding a tiny baby, no bigger than a loaf of bread. Her eyes were barely open but Caroline could tell they were his eyes. A confusing mixture of blues and greens culminating in the loveliest shade imaginable. Her hair was Hayley's, thick tufts of chocolate brown hair covering her head. Caroline smiled widely at the picture, running a finger softly over the image of the little baby. She looked more closely at the image of Klaus in the photo and saw the pure joy and love radiating from his face. It was so different to how she had seen him before and she thought it suited him. _

"_She's beautiful, a real heartbreaker." Caroline said to him, smiling happily._

"_She is." Klaus agreed with her proudly, never letting his eyes leave Caroline's. She shuffled uncomfortably._

"_You know what this means, right?" She asked him uncertainly._

"_What?" Klaus asked but he knew. He knew it was over before it even began._

"_This," she gestured between the two of them, "will never happen."_

"_Why?" He asked angrily. He had known that it was the truth but he still couldn't bring himself to relinquish his hold on her. _

"_You're a dad, Klaus and I will never, ever be a mother. We're in completely different places and we'll always be like that. Forever. You have responsibilities. To your siblings, to New Orleans, to Hayley and to Lily." She said sadly._

"_I'm not with Hayley nor will I ever have a relationship with her. She was a mistake, Caroline-"_

"_A mistake that led to the best thing that has ever happened to you, Klaus." Caroline said firmly._

"_But it took me away from you." He said quietly, looking closely at her._

_He could see the pain and sadness in her now. Of course, part of it was because her best friend was dead, Tyler had left her even when he had permission to return to Mystic Falls and Stefan had abandoned her too. But he could also see that some of it was because of him. He had caused her pain._

"_You were never really mine and I was never yours, Klaus. But you do belong to Lily and she belongs to you. As does New Orleans or so I'm told." She said, smirking._

_Klaus returned her smirk. Yes, he now ruled over New Orleans and Marcel had been ousted. The witches belonged to him as did the vampires and werewolves that flocked to the city. Now, he even had a princess to follow in his footsteps. _

_But he didn't have a queen._

"_This is the end isn't it?" Klaus murmured._

_Caroline didn't say anything just smiled sadly. Yes, this was the end._

_He should never have left her._

"_I'm not going to college." Caroline said suddenly laughing at the surprised look on his face._

"_And why not, love? I always thought academic success was your priority?"_

_Caroline shrugged._

"_Yeah, I'm going to go eventually but I'm taking a year off to see what the world has to offer." She said knowingly._

_Klaus's lips twisted into a rare smile._

"_Well, I better be off as my flight is leaving soon. And Klaus? Please don't look for me. I couldn't handle that." Caroline said seriously._

_Klaus nodded in response._

"_Goodbye, Klaus." She said and gripping her suitcase she walked to the entrance._

"_Caroline?" Klaus called._

_She turned to look at him and he swears the image would be burned in his memory forever. Blonde hair flying, blue eyes aglow with a thin sheen of tears and cheeks flushed red with excitement for the journey ahead of her._

"_Yeah?"_

_He pauses before continuing._

"_If things were different, if I hadn't gone away, if I hadn't sent Tyler away or sacrificed Elena or any of those terrible things, could you have loved me?"_

_Caroline's eyes shone a bit brighter and her lips pulled into a bitter smile._

"_Yes." She whispered. And then she was gone._

**xoxoxo **

Klaus was broken from his memories when the front door closed. A few seconds later, Elijah reappeared holding some letters very close to his chest. With a brief nod, he flashed upstairs to his room and Klaus heard him go across to his desk.

He hadn't relinquished his hold on Caroline. He refused to believe that it truly was the end for them and that one day she would come back into his arms. But it was difficult to believe that with each passing year and no contact from her and the hope faded a little every day. Klaus had kept his word. He had no idea whereabouts in the world she was. He had wanted to keep tabs on her originally but the more he thought about it the more it seemed to him that it would be more painful for him. He didn't know where she went on her travels and he didn't know if she really did go to university. Hell, he didn't even know if she was still alive but a part of him was sure he would know if she were dead.

He longed for her but knew he couldn't do anything about it. So he sat as he did every night, drinking whiskey and staring into his fireplace, tortured by memories of Caroline Forbes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! This chapter is set a few years after the previous two so we get a sense of time passing as Lily grows up. I hope you like this chapter and if you have time please review :)**

**Again, don't own TVD :( Enjoy!**

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Lily was a clever and curious girl. It could have been because of her good genes, it could have been because she was privately educated but mostly it was because she lived in a household consisting of two Original vampires and the Original Hybrid who between them had amassed a wealth of knowledge during their time on Earth and were more than happy to share it with her.

She was also very much like her father, fiercely loyal to her family and apprehensive about anyone who tried to worm their way into the fold.

She hated Tyler the moment she met him. In fact, Lily was ashamed that her mother fell so readily at his feet when he suddenly appeared in their lives when she was twelve. Lily couldn't explain it but for some reason she just didn't like or trust Tyler at all. When she confided in Rebekah about these feelings her aunt just laughed and muttered "like father, like daughter". Lily tried to question her about what she meant by those words later on but Rebekah proved to be very evasive.

Her suspicions were further aroused when her father flew to Hayley's house in an uncontrollable rage upon hearing that Tyler Lockwood was in town. Something about the whole situation was off to Lily because her parents never spoke to each other, communicating only through Elijah or Rebekah. Lily knew something wasn't right but her family were avoiding her questions, particularly her father who just shot her a pained look when she asked who Tyler was before abruptly disappearing on 'business'.

Lily's worries about Tyler would prove to be correct in the worst possible way.

It was a few days before her thirteenth birthday when Tyler Lockwood appeared at her door, covered head to toe in blood. It was shortly after the incident where Klaus had gone to Hayley's house completely furious. Lily was the only one at home at the time and so answered the door.

"Tyler? What are you doing here without mum? And why are you covered in blood?" Lily was clever enough to know it wasn't his blood.

He appraised her with a crazed look in his eye. He had looked at her curiously up until now, as if she were a puzzle he was trying to figure out. It looked like he had solved the puzzle and he both loved and loathed the answer.

"I knew there was something about you that I didn't like, something about you that was pure evil. I can see it now." Tyler sneered at her.

"How dare you come to my house and talk to me like that! Where is my mother, you sick freak?" Lily demanded. How dare he speak to her as if she were evil?

"I've been trying to figure out why you looked so familiar. It's not just because you look like Hayley, it's because you look like him too. Klaus."

Tyler's eyes were beginning to gleam and change unnaturally, almost like her father's hybrid eyes.

"Stop it! Stop talking to me like that. Where is mum?" Lily asked again.

Tyler cackled.

"Your mother is dead."

For Lily it was like the walls were caving in and the air was disappearing, suffocating her.

Hayley was dead.

Her mother was dead.

"What?" She whispered.

"Yeah, Hayley's dead. I killed her. She lied to me about your parentage, so I killed her and now I'm going to kill you. Then when you're dead, I'm going to find Caroline and get her back. Hayley was just a distraction until I could win her back and now I know Klaus's dirty secret and I can get her back with no competition."

Even through her grief and shock, the name Caroline rang in Lily's ears. She knew that name. It was Golden Girl's name. Tyler couldn't be talking about her...could he?

"I don't think so, mate."

Klaus appeared from nowhere and in a flash Tyler Lockwood's heart lay in the palm of his hand and his body tumbled to the ground. Lily looked at him briefly through a flood of tears, not entirely surprised at her father's actions.

Klaus looked at her with pain and sympathy swimming in his eyes. Before he could reach out to touch her, she lifted her head from the sight of the body on the ground.

"Mum's dead." She said blankly.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

Lily nodded blindly, not really focussed on anything that was going on, just trying to process that her mother was dead and she would never see her again.

"I think I'm going to have a lie down, Daddy." She said before turning away from him.

"Are you sure, Lily?" Klaus asked, concerned that his daughter wasn't behaving much more dramatically. He would understand of course. She had just lost her mother and the murderer had been intent on killing her as well.

"Um, yeah. I just need to rest." Lily said before scurrying upstairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Klaus sighed after she left. Knowing that his daughter was very much like him, he thought it best to let her come to terms with this on her own otherwise she would lash out and it would be painful for everyone.

He got to work on getting rid of Tyler's body. He also called his siblings' to inform them of Hayley's death and began to make funeral arrangements for the mother of his child.

Anything to block out the despairing wails echoing from his daughter's bedroom.

**xoxoxo **

Lily hated falseness and her mother's funeral was drenched in it. She stood at the front door of her dad's mansion greeting the so-called mourners that had attended her mother's funeral as they made their way inside for the wake. She was wearing a three-quarter length sleeved black dress with an overlay of lace which ended just above her knee. Her chocolaty brown hair fell past her shoulders in slight waves and she shifted her feet often out of discomfort for the new pumps Rebekah had forced her to wear. Her mouth was set in a hard line and her eyes had lost their sparkle. Although she was just thirteen, the loss of her mother seemed to have aged her.

She wanted to rip out the throat of everyone who dared to speak to her. Their condolences were a sham. The witches had only turned up out of a sort of obligation because they had threatened to kill Hayley whilst she was pregnant. Everyone else was a mixture of vampires and werewolves, most of who were loyal to Klaus and therefore were only there to ensure that the funeral went off without a hitch. The most prominent of which would be some associate of Lockwood's bursting in and attempting to kill Hayley's daughter. Camille was probably the only person there who had been a friend of Hayley's and was genuinely sorry for her loss. Lily afforded her a small smile as she swept past squeezing her arm.

Lily loathed listening to these people with a forced smile on her face, banging on about how much she looked like her mother. She knew they were lying because she knew for a fact she looked more like her dad and Rebekah. Clearly, the Mikaelson genes won out overall. These people were just saying things to make her feel better. It didn't.

The other thing that was so horrible about this day was that something strange was going on between the members of her family. Some old boyfriend of Rebekah's had turned up the night before, garnering a mixed reception from the Mikaelson family. Rebekah had been ecstatic of course, Elijah polite as always and Klaus apprehensive. Lily had barely even acknowledged him and barely registered his name when introduced to the brooding vampire, Stefan Salvatore.

Lily was a shrewd girl and fantastic at multitasking. She could greet these mourners and keep an eye on her family's odd behaviour.

Her aunt and Stefan seemed to be discussing something very intensely, with Rebekah shaking her head in frustration. Klaus was watching them with a guarded look and she could tell that Elijah was using his supernatural hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Finally, Lily spotted someone she was genuinely happy to see.

"Sophie, Ella! Thanks for coming!" Lily greeted the two witches she actually liked with tight hugs.

"Of course, sweetie, we wouldn't have missed it. It must be awful for you right now." Sophie said sympathetically. Lily knew that she had lost her mother, sister and husband over the years and so her words meant more than others did.

"Thanks, Sophie." Lily smiled genuinely for the first time in over a week.

"I'll leave you two girls to chat a bit. The coven is summoning me." Sophie said with a roll of her eyes, indicating the witches scowling at them from across the room before making her way over to them leaving Ella and Lily alone.

"Thanks for coming, Ella." Lily said, her smile faltering.

"I know how it feels. When my dad died, a part of me died with him. Besides, you're my best friend. I would never let you do this alone." Ella said earnestly, taking Lily's hand in hers.

Lily sniffled a bit before her attention was caught by her father stalking towards Stefan with a determined look on his face.

"Hey, Ella? Can you cast that spell that increases my hearing again? I just need to listen to something."

"Sure." Ella said, before murmuring in Latin.

Suddenly, Lily's ears seemed to pick up noises that had been non-existent to her before. She could hear the cars from miles away and the birds chirping from trees even though she was far, far away from any woods. She focussed on the sound she wanted, her father's voice.

"...doing here, Stefan?" Klaus was asking, angrily.

"I was dropping by to see Rebekah. We've been in contact for a while and I wanted to visit. I didn't realise it would be such an awful time." Stefan said solemnly with a serious look on his face. Lily nearly chuckled realising she hadn't seen him wear any other look since he had been here.

"So you and my sister are back on, are you?"

"Does it matter to you?" Stefan shot back. Ooh, bad move, Lily thought seeing her dad's jaw clench in anger.

"I have my family's best interest at heart, Stefan. You should understand that and remember who you are talking to." Klaus said firmly with a death glare on his face.

"I don't intend to hurt Rebekah. She's been a good friend to me recently and I'm a bit short of friends at the moment."

"Ah, yes. I heard the Mystic Falls gang has disintegrated." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Why don't we cut to the chase, Klaus? You're obviously not that happy that I am here after everything that has happened but you clearly want something from me so say it."

Stefan's voice was laden with something that placed a heavy meaning on his words, as if Stefan knew exactly what Klaus wanted to ask. Lily waited with bated breath for her dad to respond.

"Do you know where she is?"

"If by she you mean Caroline, no I do not." Stefan said angrily causing Klaus to look confused.

"I don't see why you're so angry. You left her remember, mate?"

"Yes and then after I found out about your 'situation' I tried to track her down to make sure she was okay. When I finally found her she wanted nothing to do with me because she found out about my relationship with Rebekah. She wants nothing to do with you or your family or with anyone that is connected to them." Stefan said bitterly.

"Why?" Klaus muttered. He was clearly hurt and confused. Lily could read him like a book.

"She went through a lot, Klaus. She just wanted to start again away from Mystic Falls and away from everyone she ever knew. The only person she's in contact with now is Elena but Elijah would know that."

"Excuse me?" Klaus exclaimed and Lily concentrated on listening more carefully.

"Elijah and Elena have been seeing each other for years. After she flipped the switch again he fixed her and now I think they're together."

"So you're saying my brother might know where Caroline is?"

"I doubt he knows and if he does she won't be there for long. I'm sure she'll ditch Elena as soon as she finds out about Elijah, like she did with me. And anyway, why do you want to know where she is? She wants nothing to do with you or Lily. It reminds her of everything she has lost." Stefan argued before beginning to turn away.

"Stefan? Just answer me this. When you last saw her, was she happy? Was she exactly the same?"

Stefan paused before turning to face him.

"Yes and no. She looks the same and she wears the same smile but I don't think it's real. She's lost something about herself. Her inner light if you will."

Stefan strode purposefully away leaving a shocked and upset Klaus in his wake.

Lily frowned. It was obvious her father was in love with Caroline so why wasn't he with her? And why did she have a problem with Lily who she had never met?

Lily was determined to find out. However, long it takes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews and follows and favourites! They made me so happy! This story is different to my other one because the idea for the first chapter just popped into my head whilst I was out and by the time I got home I had the whole thing planned out so I can update this quicker. The chapters are also shorter too because its not going to be a massively long story probably less than 10 chapters. I hope you guys like Lily because I wanted to do a story about the baby after TO was announced and so here it is! Oh, I also didn't want to kill off Hayley or Tyler and make him crazy but I thought about it and it seemed really unrealistic that Hayley would just abandon her daughter to run away with Tyler. This way there's room for Caroline to step in and make a bond with Lily which I'm excited to write about!**

**Anyway, long AN over! Just wanted to address a few things that might be confusing. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm gonna start chapter 5 now! If you have time PLEASE review, they give me confidence about the story! **

**Again, don't own TVD. Happy reading! :)**

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Lily confronted her Uncle Elijah a few weeks after the funeral. She was determined to find out exactly who Caroline was and how she was connected to their family. From the whispers she had overheard over the last few weeks, the conversations between Rebekah and Stefan she had walked in on and Elijah's tense face, Lily had gathered that Caroline was connected to Tyler Lockwood and may have had something to do with her mother's murder.

Her father's epic love might have commanded the death of her mother.

Elijah was in his study when she approached him. They were the only ones in the mansion and Lily didn't miss how he stuffed the letters he was holding into his normally neat and tidy desk drawers.

"Hello, Lily. How are you feeling today?" Elijah asked fondly. He had a soft spot for his niece and felt grateful to have been able to experience the joys of raising a child along with his family. He had been right when he had told Niklaus that his baby would bring them back together.

"Much better thank you, Elijah." Lily responded, settling herself comfortably in the armchair on the opposite side of his desk.

"What can I help you with?" He asked, now giving her his full attention.

"I would like you to tell me about this Caroline that everyone seems to be so worked up about." Lily said quite calmly.

Elijah's face paled and he started shuffling papers unnecessarily on his desk. He cleared his throat before answering.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lily."

"Yes you do, Elijah. I know you know who Caroline is and how she is connected to mum and dad and that freak Tyler. I also know you're seeing one of the doppelgangers, Elena. And I want answers."

Elijah sighed, rubbing his temple and resigning himself to answering her.

"Caroline Forbes is a vampire who lived in Mystic Falls when your father was there to break the sacrifice fifteen years ago. He originally intended to use her in the sacrifice along with Tyler Lockwood but due to unforeseen circumstances he was forced to use other people. After the sacrifice, Caroline and Tyler became an item and Tyler was actually your father's first successful hybrid."

Lily listened intently to her uncle speaking, filing away all sorts of information that may become useful later when piecing together the life of her father.

"Your father fell in love with Miss Forbes when he saved her life from a werewolf bite but she was exceedingly loyal to her friends and family and rejected all of his advances. Eventually, they formed a friendship of sorts but your father's intentions remained the same. He wanted to make her his. The friendship was not without complications. They often said and did things to hurt each other deeply and Miss Forbes was often used by her friends to try and kill or distract your father. I believe Miss Forbes detested playing that role but she did it as she loved her friends very much."

Lily was beginning to think that this Caroline wasn't as amazing as her dad had cracked her up to be after those comments but she allowed Elijah to continue with his story because she was curious and wanted to know what happened next.

"Eventually it got to the point where your father slept with a woman to try and hurt Caroline. This woman was in love with Caroline's boyfriend, Tyler. They thought it was of mutual benefit to the both of them, an escape from the reality of constant rejection and feeling second best. They didn't know that this little fling would result in you." Elijah said gesturing to Lily from across the desk.

Lily just rolled her eyes. Although she loved her mother, she knew that Hayley had not been without faults. Hayley had often brought up how little she thought of Klaus and how the night they had spent together had been a huge mistake. The only thing she had been grateful for was Lily and Lily often doubted she meant that. It pained a little to think that way considering Hayley was now dead and buried but she let it go in favour of finally quenching her curiosity.

"Now, you know your father is a possessive man and he doesn't like other people touching things he deems his. He had deemed Caroline his and had threatened Tyler with death if he were to ever find him in Mystic Falls again after attempting to kill him yet again. Tyler fled the town, leaving behind a heartbroken and angry Caroline. Caroline lashed out at your father but eventually she came to understand him and became fond of him. At her high school graduation, your father told her he intended to be her last love no matter how long it took and he released Tyler from his exile. I believe Caroline already had some latent feelings for your father but she was still unaware of them. Unfortunately, Tyler never returned to Caroline and her best friend died. On top of that, Caroline found out that Niklaus was now a father."

Lily swallowed suddenly feeling guilty. Caroline must have been insecure and upset when she found out Klaus had shacked up with someone else after declaring his love for her. If only she knew how much he still cared...

"I imagine Miss Forbes was very upset and your father went to speak with her. When he did, she expressed that there was no chance of them ever having a relationship and she requested that he leave her alone to let her live her life without him. He asked her if she could have loved him if the circumstances had been different and she said yes. Your father honoured her request but her final words to him still torture him to this day and I believe he is still very much in love with her."

"Why does everyone seem to think she might be connected to mum's murder?" Lily asked curiously.

"We very much doubt she is now after conversing with Stefan Salvatore. We thought that perhaps Miss Forbes had asked Tyler to kill your mother and yourself because she wanted revenge for your father abandoning her." Elijah said.

"And he left because mum was pregnant with me?" Lily said. She felt immensely guilty for being responsible for taking away her dad's happiness.

"Well, yes and no. He also wanted to reclaim the throne for New Orleans. This isn't your fault, Lily." Elijah said softly, gazing intently at his niece.

But that didn't assuage Lily's guilt and she was determined to do something about it.

"Do you know where she is, Elijah?" Lily demanded.

Elijah sighed.

"I do not, I'm afraid. I tried tracking her for a while but she is quite adept at hiding. The only person I found was her old friend Elena Gilbert who was emotionless and needed my help."

"And this led to a romance." Lily smiled softly, pleased that her uncle appeared to be happy.

"We're just friends, Lily." Elijah coughed shuffling his papers again.

"Whatever, 'Lijah. Do you know if it's possible for me to track Caroline down? I want to find her for dad. I've known him my whole life and he still seems to be waiting for something. I know he's happy but I think Caroline would make him even happier."

"I agree but unfortunately she seems to be protecting herself from being found with magic as it is impossible to track her." Elijah sighed.

"I guess I'll find another way then." Lily said determinedly.

"Don't do anything silly, Lily." Elijah demanded as she exited the room.

Oh, Lily wouldn't do anything silly. Not yet, anyway. She had already cornered Stefan and made him spill the beans about his relationship with Caroline and how they were no longer in contact. She knew that if she waited long enough, eventually Elena would turn up on their doorstep and she would be able to get her location from her. Stefan said she would easily do anything to help her friends or make them happy.

She would wait Elijah and Elena out. Then she would track down Caroline and convince her to come to New Orleans and see Klaus.

Lily wouldn't fail this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites guys! I'm getting through this really quickly! I hope you like this chapter and if you have time please leave a review with your thoughts on the story :)**

**Again, don't own TVD. Happy reading! :)**

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"Lily, sweetheart, what would you like to do for your birthday this year? It's a rite of passage turning 18!"

Klaus was trying to ignite some excitement in his daughter about her upcoming birthday and so far wasn't having much success. He knew it would be a hard time for her considering her mother was killed five years previously but it was his job as a father to ensure that they did something to mark the celebration.

It was tough trying to make his daughter understand that.

"Dad, I've already told you I don't want to do anything so stop hounding me!" Lily screeched, giving him the dirtiest glare from where she was sitting at the dining room table surrounded by various textbooks and sheets of paper.

Klaus sighed. He hadn't realised that being the parent to an over-achieving, hormonal teenage girl would be such a difficult task. He wondered briefly if that was how Liz Forbes had felt whilst raising Caroline but he quickly pushed that away, not willing to open those wounds today.

"But sweetheart, we should do something to mark the occasion. You're only 18 once after all."

Lily laid down her pen carefully and fixed her father with her most determined stare.

"Father, if you wanted me to have time to celebrate and have fun like a normal teenage girl you should not have enrolled me in a school where I'm in seven AP classes two of which are maths and two that are sciences which by the way are incredibly difficult. I do not have time for this right now if you wish me to graduate and 'make something of my life'." Lily said bitterly, blowing her hair out of her face and returning to her homework.

Klaus sighed again and turned to leave the room leaving her to her own devices. Clearly he was not going to persuade her to change her mind so he would have to go with Rebekah's plan of a surprise party event. He was sure that that idea would not end well for any of them considering his daughter's volatile temper.

After his exit, Lily breathed a sigh of relief and returned her attention to her Calculus homework. She could not be dealing with her birthday this year. It just meant another year had gone past since her mother had died and she didn't really feel like remembering that.

It was an hour later when she heard her father call out saying that he was going to deal with the witches who were causing a ruckus again leaving Lily to sit in silence working her way steadily through her mountain of homework. She was sorely tempted to just bang her head against the table but then remembered Elijah would probably reprimand her for wasting time when there was a tentative knock at the door.

Sighing, Lily got up to answer the door determined to vent at them if they pissed her off in any way. She had become much more stressed lately considering her final exams were only a few months away.

Opening the door, Lily was stunned to see a woman she had only met a few brief times over the years.

"Katherine?" Lily asked with a confused look.

The brunette smiled and laughed.

"No, I am definitely not Katherine but you're forgiven for thinking so. I'm Elena, Elena Gilbert. Does Elijah Mikaelson live here?"

Lily was so shocked she couldn't even respond to Elena yet. Here stood the woman she had been waiting to arrive for the past five years. Now she was looking properly at the woman that stood before her she could see a few differences between the two doppelgangers. Elena's hair hung straight whereas Katherine's was a mass of tight curls. Elena's smile and eyes were soft and kind whereas Katherine's eyes always seemed to sparkle with malice and hatred and her smile was more of a smirk.

"Hello?" Elena asked uncertainly giving the girl a worried look breaking Lily out of her confused state.

"Oh, hello Elena it's nice to meet you. Elijah is out at the moment but please do come in."

Elena stepped over the threshold a little apprehensively but she needn't have. Lily's name was on the documents to the mansion so only she had the power to invite vampires in.

"So you must be Lily, Klaus's daughter?" Elena asked conversationally as they made their way into the living room.

"Yeah, that's me. And you're friends with Stefan, right?" Lily asked.

Elena grimaced.

"We were...together a long time ago and haven't really spoken since. He's with your Aunt Rebekah at the moment isn't he?"

"They're sort of on a break at the moment but I'm sure Bekah will come around as soon as he buys her something extravagant for being a bit late to their anniversary dinner." Lily said dryly.

Elena giggled and Lily found herself liking this woman. Now it was time to question her about Caroline.

"You know Caroline Forbes, don't you?" Lily asked inquisitively.

Elena glanced at her before shifting uncomfortably.

"We were friends." She answered finally.

"Were?"

"Yeah, she doesn't really like the company I keep so we haven't spoken in a while."

"By company you mean my family, don't you?" Lily stated more than asked.

"I guess so, yes. Why are you asking me about Caroline, Lily?" Elena asked suddenly.

"I'm sure my uncle told you why and I need your help, Elena. I want to find Caroline."

Elena snorted.

"Caroline doesn't want to be found."

"But you could help me find her, couldn't you? I'm sure you have something of hers I could use to find her."

"She's protected by magic, Lily. Our friend Bonnie is protecting her from beyond the grave."

"I know powerful witches." Lily said mysteriously.

"If Caroline doesn't want to be found there is no way that you will be able to break through her barrier and find her."

"Why doesn't she want to be found, Elena?"

Elena got up from her place on the sofa opposite Lily and began to pace.

"If you tell your dad what I'm about to tell you, Caroline will never forgive me."

"I promise I won't tell." Lily said earnestly.

Elena sighed.

"Caroline was in love with your dad when he left Mystic Falls. She didn't fully realise until after he had left and Tyler didn't return. When Tyler didn't come back, Caroline wasn't as upset as she thought she would be. She found she was more upset and angry that your dad had left her and that's when she realised she was in love with him. She was going to come to New Orleans and try to start something with him when Katherine told her about you."

Lily nodded. She knew she was the major obstacle stopping her father from trying to win over Caroline.

"Caroline realised that she couldn't be responsible for breaking up a family and she knew that if she ever met you or held you as a baby she would be overcome by the fact that she can never have children. She was happy for your dad but she was insanely jealous and she knew that if they were ever to try a relationship, she would only grow to resent him and you. Caroline didn't want to hurt your dad by finally giving in to him only to leave him a few years down the line."

Wow, Lily thought, this Caroline really was something.

"So, Caroline ran away. She saw Klaus one last time and made sure he would never follow her. She tried starting completely over without any ties to the Mikaelson family. That's why she severed ties with Stefan and now me." Elena finished sadly.

"Because you're in love with my uncle?" Lily asked although she already knew the answer.

Elena nodded.

"Do you want Caroline to be happy, Elena?" Lily asked.

"Of course I do. I miss her terribly and I feel awful for what has happened with us just because I fell in love with a Mikaelson and she wants to fall out of love with one."

Elena gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth and staring at Lily who comprehended what she said.

"She's still in love with my dad?" Lily cried.

Elena winced but nodded. Lily grabbed her hands and looked at her imploringly.

"You have to help me, Elena. My dad loves her so much and if she loves him too they should be together."

"Lily, I agree with you. I'm not your dad's biggest fan but if he will make Caroline happy then they should be together but Caroline won't come."

"Then I'll have to convince her." Lily said determinedly.

"You'll have to find her first." Elena countered.

"Surely, you have something of hers I can use?" Lily pleaded.

Elena sighed and strode over to her suitcase. After digging around in it for a while she pulled out a small box and passed it to Lily who opened it. Inside was a beautiful bracelet which sparkled in the dying light of the sun. It was comprised of the infinity symbol over and over again. How very appropriate, Lily thought.

"This is the bracelet he gave her isn't it?"

"Yeah," Elena said, "he managed to slip it back to her before he left to come here. She wore it every day until she found my letters from Elijah. When I returned to our apartment the bracelet lay on top of the letters and she was gone."

Lily nodded. She couldn't miss the sadness in Elena's eyes which only made her more determined to find the blonde vampire.

"I'm going to find her, Elena. I promise. I'm going to fix everything between them, you and Caroline and Stefan and Caroline. He misses her too and I think she even grew a little on Bekah. Promise me you'll keep this a secret until I can find her and convince her to come here?"

Elena smiled sadly and agreed before Lily directed her to Elijah's office where she would wait in secret for him to come home.

Lily took out her phone and dialled her father's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Lily, sweetheart? Is everything all right?"

Lily rolled her eyes at his overprotective nature.

"Dad, I'm fine. I've just been thinking about my birthday."

"Oh? Have you changed your mind after screeching at me earlier?" Klaus asked and Lily knew her dad was smirking at her.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, dad. I have changed my mind actually. Can you tell Beks I want a party which is kind of like a ball? Perhaps a masquerade that would be fun." Lily exclaimed.

"Of course, sweetheart. We'll have it arranged for your birthday in two weeks time." Klaus breathed a sigh of relief, happy that his daughter had finally come around.

"Thanks, dad. I'll see you later!" Lily said before hanging up and dialling another number.

Her best friend picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, babe! Are you finally taking a break from studying? I've missed hanging out with you and your silly accent."

"It's not a silly accent, Ella. It's British." Lily said exasperatedly.

"Whatever, Lil. What's up?" Ella said and Lily could faintly here her shuffling around to get more comfortable.

"I need your help in finding someone. Are you still banned from using magic after the whole cafeteria incident?"

"Yes but I can totally sneak in a small spell I reckon. Besides, that incident wouldn't have happened if Miss Perkins hadn't given me detention."

"You blew up the cafeteria with your mind, Ella"

"Whatever. Anyway, when are you coming over so I can get started on it? My mum's out all day tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll be over tomorrow then."

The girls finished chatting after that and Lily felt elated. She was finally getting closer to achieving the goal she had made when she was little girl.

She was finally going to find Golden Girl.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! So another update! I looked at my horoscope and it said I should focus on creative pursuits so here we go :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited! I hope you like this chapter and if you have the time do drop a review letting me know if you loved or hated it.**

**I still don't own TVD :( Happy reading!**

* * *

"So you're saying that you want me to try and find an old love interest of your dad's who is being protected by magic from beyond the grave?"

Lily was perched on the edge of Ella's bed, waiting anxiously as her friend set up all the necessary equipment for the spell. She clutched the bracelet tightly in her hand feeling as if somehow it connected her to Caroline.

She nodded vigorously at her friend.

"Are you insane?" Ella yelled causing Lily to look at her in shock.

"How am I insane?" Lily asked confusedly.

"My mum works for your dad and he will kill her if he finds out I tried to track down this girl. And I'm 17 and only just beginning to discover my powers. If this Caroline is being protected by witches on the Other Side, there is no way I will be able to find her. I'm not strong enough to break through the barrier."

"Please, Ella! We have to try. I owe it to my dad. He left Caroline because of me and I want to bring her back to him."

Ella sighed.

"Lily, you need to understand that it isn't your fault that Caroline didn't want him to find her."

"Whether it is my fault or not doesn't matter. Bringing them together again and forcing them to acknowledge their feelings for each other will make my dad so happy. He's raised me and I know that although he loves me unconditionally, he misses having someone by his side. A partner, a girlfriend or even a queen. If I can bring her back to him, he will at least be able to get some closure and move on with his life." Lily said although she doubted her father would ever move on from Caroline if the sketches she had found were any indication.

Ella frowned before sighing again in resignation.

"I will try to locate her but I can't guarantee that I'll find anything and I can't use too much magic or it might end badly for me. Do you even know what bloodline is protecting her?"

Lily bit her lip before whispering "It's the Bennett line."

"The Bennett bloodline! Are you kidding me, Lily? They're like the most powerful witches to ever exist." Ella exclaimed.

"I know, I know but you're a Deveraux. Surely that counts for something?"

"The Deveraux line isn't nearly as powerful as the Bennett's but my auntie, Jane-Ann, might be able to give us a bit of help from the Other Side. Lily, I'll do my best but I don't think this will work." Ella warned.

"We have to at least try." Lily said firmly.

Ella took the bracelet from Lily's hand and grasped it tightly, gesturing for her to join her in the circle she had made out of candles. Inside the circle was a map of the country and Lily was praying that Caroline hadn't left America in the last 18 years. Ella handed her a small crystal attached to a fine chain and Lily wound it around her hand. The candles were soon ablaze and Ella consulted her grimoire before closing her eyes and beginning to chant in Latin. Lily began to spin the crystal so that it circled the map over and over and over again.

An unknown pressure seemed to be gathering in Lily's ears making her want to hold her nose and pop them. The air surrounding the girls seemed to shift and turn cold leaving the girls shivering. There was a sudden burst of light as the flames surrounding them shot in the air and just as suddenly completely disappeared. Whilst this was happening the crystal in Lily's hand began to burn causing her to cry out and let it go where it landed a good distance from the map.

Then there was silence.

Lily sighed.

"Well, I guess that's that then." She admitted, completely defeated.

"I wouldn't say that." Another voice piped up from behind the girls, causing them both to turn around in shock.

Stood before them were two ghostly figures, smiling down at the teenagers who could only gape at them. One was a woman with long, thick dark hair and kind green eyes that seemed to sparkle and a wide smile. The other was a man slightly taller than the woman with a shock of dark hair on his head and deep brown eyes with a smirk dancing across his face. He had an air of mischief about him. Lily thought he resembled Elijah.

"Oh my god! Are you Kol?" She shouted at him.

"The one and only, darling. And you are my lovely niece, I presume?" Kol answered, winking at her causing the woman to roll her eyes.

Lily could only nod faintly completely speechless.

"And who are you?" Ella asked the woman inquisitively.

"I'm Bonnie Bennett. I'm the witch who has been protecting Caroline all of these years." Bonnie said proudly.

"Not to be rude, but what are the two of you doing here?" Ella said bluntly, crossing her arms and frowning at them. This was clearly not the way she wanted the spell to go.

"You're trying to find Caroline and we know where she is." Kol said smugly.

Lily's heart leapt but Ella cut in before she could say anything.

"I thought you were meant to be protecting her from being found so why are you trying to help us?" She asked.

Bonnie sighed.

"I've been watching over Caroline for the last 18 years and I know that she isn't happy, not truly. I protected her from being found by the Mikaelson family because I believed that that was what was best for her. I was wrong. I now believe that being with Klaus is probably the best thing that could ever happen to her and it will make her truly happy." Bonnie said gravely.

"How do you know this?" Lily piped up.

"She fell for him all those years ago and has fallen for him harder and deeper every year since. If she continues to run away from her feelings, I believe it will drive her mad and she will switch off her humanity. I cannot bear to watch her go through that."

"So have you young ladies got a plan in place to lure the blonde bombshell back to my dastardly brother?" Kol enquired.

Lily and Ella exchanged glances. They had a plan but it was risky.

"Yes. After we got her location we were going to go to her and try to persuade her to come here. I'm having a masquerade ball for my 18th birthday in two weeks time and I was thinking of reuniting them there." Lily said nervously.

"Ooh, a ball just like the one my mother had. They danced together all night, you know. I think my brother realised Caroline was quite special that night when she stood up to him." Kol said knowingly.

"I agree. I think that was the night Caroline realised that there might be something more to Klaus than meets the eye. He gave her the most beautiful dress to wear." Bonnie commented, her smile growing wider and she looked at Lily.

"So, it's a good plan?" Lily asked.

"It's perfect. Now we just need to tell you where she is." Kol said, glancing at Bonnie.

"She's living in New York and lives in an apartment near Central Park. Sometimes she sings at open mic nights in a bar around the corner from her address. It's called Bar American. If you fly out this afternoon you might be able to catch her tonight."

Lily and Ella exchanged a glance.

"Ah, that's the thing. My dad is not going to let us fly to New York by ourselves and I think he'd notice if we took the private jet." Lily said sadly.

"Not to worry, ladies. You can tell Nik that you're shopping in New York for a few days in an attempt to find a dress for your upcoming birthday party." Kol said confidently.

"Yeah and if you tell him Elena is accompanying you, then you wouldn't be alone either." Bonnie chimed in.

"Do you want us to bring Elena with us?" Ella asked.

"Oh no, I think Lily has the power needed to persuade Caroline to come here. Elena just needs to disappear for a few days. Maybe she could go to Florida and visit Jeremy." Kol suggested.

"Yes, I think its important Lily is the one to convince her to see Klaus again." Bonnie commented.

Lily began to grin at the thought of finally meeting the woman her dad was in love with whilst Ella squealed with excitement.

"I've never been to New York before! This is so exciting!"

As the two girls celebrated Kol and Bonnie began to glance upwards simultaneously.

"Well, as much as I have enjoyed this family reunion, Bonnie and I have to go. We are being summoned back to where we belong." Kol said sadly.

Lily's smile faltered and she began to speak.

"Thank you for helping us, it means a lot to me to be able to do this for dad. He speaks of you highly and often, Uncle Kol. So do Bekah and Elijah."

Kol smiled at his niece fondly.

"Uncle Kol, I like that." He said cheerfully.

"And thanks Bonnie for helping me find Caroline. I promise I will do my very best to make them both happy again." Lily said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Lily. We've been watching you from the Other Side and if anyone can get these two together, it's you." Bonnie said whilst smiling warmly at the young girl.

Bonnie and Kol began to fade away until nothing was left of them but the memory of their smiles and encouraging words.

Lily whipped her phone out as soon as they were out of sight. It rang a few times before someone picked up the other end.

"Hey, Elena. I need your help." She said determinedly, locking eyes from her grinning friend.

**NEXT CHAPTER: Caroline and Lily meet!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi all! Here's chapter 7! Will hopefully have the next chapter up tomorrow :) thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourited! BLEW ME AWAY! This chapter may make you doubt me a little but Klaroline is going to happen so have no fear! It's up to Lily to make it happen ;) **

**ZodiacsKlaroline-totally planning on making her a knockout! The masks add mystery as well so Klaus is gonna be pretty stunned!**

**Happy reading everyone!**

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Lily felt a familiar rush of exhilaration as the plane touched down at LaGuardia airport. Although she had been to New York many times during her lifetime, often accompanied by Rebekah intent on splurging wads of cash on clothes and shoes, she couldn't help the little flutter of excitement that coursed through her veins as they swept over the New York skyline.

It hadn't been easy convincing Klaus to let them go to New York but eventually he had given in to his daughter's demands and puppy dog eyes. With gritted teeth and a gruff voice, Klaus had handed over his credit card and informed Lily to do whatever made her happy before flitting away to tear off some heads in order to regain some of his self-respect.

Elijah had been very eager for his niece to begin bonding with Elena who was his sort of girlfriend. They weren't labelling it, he had said haughtily to Lily's amused expression, because they were above labelling. He had all but shoved them out the door in order to get them to spend time with each other. Little did he know that Elena was actually going to be taking a separate flight to Florida instead so she could spend time with her baby brother.

Rebekah had been the hardest to convince mostly because she was miffed at the idea of Lily wanting to go shopping with an adult vampire that wasn't herself. She was even more put out when she discovered that they intended to go dress shopping for the masquerade ball that she was organising for her only niece. Lily had eventually managed to placate her by saying that she could hardly take time out to go shopping with her if she was to be organising the whole thing on such short notice.

"And I wouldn't trust anyone else with this kind of thing other than you, Bekah." Lily had said and received a beaming smile from her aunt.

With the Mikaelson family placated, Lily, Ella and Elena had made their way to the airport, opting not to take the private jet so as avoid the watchful eyes Klaus had no doubt trained upon his daughter via his compelled employees and sired vampires. It had been easy for Elena to compel them all seats to their destinations and she had boarded her flight to Florida with a cheerful wave and a promise confirming she would meet them at the airport when they returned.

Now Lily was hailing a stereotypical yellow taxi with an excitable Ella by her side. It seemed to only take mere seconds for them to arrive at their destination although in reality it had taken far longer than that. Ella leapt out of the cab thrusting a handful of notes into the driver's hand and tugging Lily behind her.

"Here we are!" Ella trilled with a broad smile gracing her pretty features. She heard no response from her friend and so turned to face her with concern. Lily was staring at Bar American with a blank expression on her face, her hands twisting around each other and flicking her long locks nervously.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Ella asked, reaching a hand out to touch her friend who barely registered her touch and remained silent. Ella, however, felt the rush of emotions that Lily was feeling course through her body as if they were her own from a single touch.

"You're scared and nervous."

"Wouldn't you be?" Lily shoots at her, eyes wide and arms crossed. "This woman refused my father because of her hatred of me, someone she has never met. How am I, the person she must hate and resent most in the world, going to convince her to give my dad a chance?"

Ella smiled warmly at her, confidence oozing from every pore in her body.

"You're Lily Mikaelson and Lily Mikaelson doesn't back down from a challenge. You can do this, Lil."

Lily glanced at her, fear evident in her eyes. Upon seeing the confidence and complete and utter faith that was present in Ella, those eyes suddenly lost their fear and became filled with steely determination.

She could do this.

She will do this.

Taking a breath and Ella's hand, Lily strode forward into the unknown.

**xoxoxo**

The bar was crowded and the atmosphere lively as Lily and Ella cut their way through the inebriated people. It was late evening by now, the girls having taken a flight about mid-afternoon. It hadn't been difficult to get into the bar with Ella's fake Ids. They sat at a table towards the back of the bar, eyes trained on the stage waiting for the Open Mic night to start. Lily was gulping her water nervously knowing that drinking alcohol would not make this challenge any easier and Ella lounged lazily in her chair, her eyes roaming the room for any gorgeous men that might glance her way and sipping on her white wine.

"Have you thought about what you're going to say to her?" Ella asked.

"Not really. It's probably not a good idea to lead with 'Hey, I'm Niklaus Mikaelson's daughter' though." Lily sighed.

"No probably not. She might recognise you though. You look an awful lot like your dad and Rebekah." Ella noted.

"I hope not. I don't want her to run away from me without getting a chance to talk to her."

Suddenly the loud music that had been filling the bar gave way to silence and then a sharp noise as someone adjusted the microphone on the stage before making the announcement of who was to be first up. Lily looked around the bar but couldn't see Caroline yet. She felt a flood of despair at the idea that she might not even come and this would have been a wasted effort.

Half an hour later and the doors swung open to the bar again. Lily registered a blonde head of hair and long legs clad in skinny jeans and a pair of knee high boots before the girl disappeared into the crowd. She couldn't help but feel that that girl was the one she was looking for.

"Next up, Caroline Bennett!"

"Bennett? I thought her surname was Forbes?" Ella asked, confused.

"It is," Lily replied, "Sounds like she's changed it so that she can't be found as easily."

They watched as the vampire in question ascended the stage. Lily knew without a doubt that this was her. She recognised her face and curly hair from her father's sketches. Caroline was smiling as she took in the crowd but Lily could tell that it didn't quite touch her eyes. They were blue pools of sadness. She wondered briefly how often Caroline had to hide behind her smiles. The thought made her sad.

The first few chords of the song drifted through the air and Lily instantly recognised it as Caroline opened her mouth to sing, closing her eyes.

_I heard that you're settled down_

_That you found a girl and you're married now_

_I heard that your dreams came true_

_Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you_

Lily and Ella stared at Caroline open mouthed as she tore into the chorus. She sang beautifully and with such heartache.

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you, too_

_Don't forget me I beg, I remember you said_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead_

"Oh my god. Your dad must have really done a number on her." Ella whispered, careful to keep her voice low so that it wouldn't reach Caroline's ears.

Lily was frozen in place, unable to reply.

Caroline continued to sing finally wrapping up the song.

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead_

She finished the song to thunderous applause and although she smiled Lily could see the pain that filled her eyes even from her distance across the room. Caroline descended the stage steps and began to head towards the exit.

"Come on!" Lily whispered, yanking Ella up by the hand and following Caroline into the night.

She was only a short distance away and the girls followed her for a few minutes still unsure as to how to approach her. Would she be angry or confused? Lily still didn't even know what she was going to say to her although inwardly she thought going with the truth would be best.

All of a sudden Caroline disappeared, leaving the girls stunned and unsure on what to do next.

"Who are you and why exactly are you following me?"

Lily and Ella turned around to see Caroline directly behind them her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed at them.

Damned vampire reflexes.

"You're Caroline Forbes, right?" Lily blurted out. Stupid question, she thought to herself, I already know it's her.

If it were possible, Caroline's eyes narrowed even further.

"I don't go by that name anymore which leads me to wonder who told you who I am and what you want with me."

"You, um, you know my dad." Lily stuttered.

Caroline snorted but then took a closer look at Lily's face and gasped. This girl in front of her had _his_ eyes and the hair was reminiscent of Hayley's. She could even see Rebekah's nose and those god damned dimples that were popping out as the girl smiled slightly.

It was silent as Caroline gaped at Lily, unable to move because she was so shocked. Lily and Ella shuffled together a little nervously as the streetlights winked from above them. The evening air was cool and breezy causing the girls to shiver a little.

"Er, not to be rude but would it be okay if we did this conversation inside somewhere? It's just really cold out here." Ella asked.

Caroline turned her head to stare at Ella blankly.

"Are you his daughter too?" Caroline whispered with wide eyes.

Ella burst into laughter causing the other two to jump.

"Oh god, no! I'm Ella, Ella Deveraux. My mum's a witch that works for Klaus. I'm a witch too." She said proudly.

Caroline nodded briefly before gesturing to the girls to follow her down the street.

"My place isn't too far from here." She stated walking forward once more.

Lily was shocked that she wasn't running away from them but grateful all the same and followed Caroline swiftly down the street.

**xoxoxo **

Caroline's apartment was a two-bedroom affair located on East 54th Street. It contained a kitchen and spacious living room and en-suite bathrooms in both bedrooms. The walls were painted a pale yellow which gave the place an airy and light feel. It made Lily flashback to the thing she heard her dad say most when talking about Caroline. Full of light. The apartment was full of nice things, an expensive and large TV with a huge collection of DVDs. The sofas were soft and inviting and Caroline had pictures filling almost every surface. It made the place look homey and warm and Lily had to suppress a smile when her eyes landed on a sketch of Caroline and a horse hastily tucked away between books.

Caroline cleared her throat as she brought Ella and Lily their drinks. The silence between them was awkward. Nobody seemed to know what to say. Ella decided to be bold and break the silence.

"You have a lovely apartment, Caroline."

"Thanks, Ella. Now would the two of you mind telling me how you found me?"

It was a long story but Lily filled her in on what had happened with Kol and Bonnie whilst Caroline just sat there and listened, nodding in places. When Lily finished, Caroline sighed.

"Okay, so now I know how you found me can you tell me why you even wanted to in the first place? You don't even know me."

"But I do know you, Caroline. My dad has been telling me stories about you for as long as I can remember. I nicknamed you Golden Girl in my head when I was little and he told me the story of how he saved your life. He constantly talks about you because he never wants to forget you. And I came here because I want to convince you to give my dad a chance."

Caroline stared at Lily, smiling slightly.

"You're very like your father. He persistently asked me to give him a chance but just as I was about to, everything changed."

"Look, I know that you love my dad and I know that my dad loves you and I would do anything to make him happy because he has given me everything. I know that you don't like me and you resent me for what happened between the two of you but he deserves a chance at happiness." Lily was practically begging Caroline now.

Caroline looked horrified by the idea Lily had in her head that she hated her.

"I don't hate you or resent you. Klaus and I were just never meant to be. The timing was completely off and too much stuff has happened for anything to happen with us. I did resent you at first. You signified everything I always wanted and I thought it was terribly unfair that your dad got to have it and I didn't. But I realised that resentment was pointless and how could I resent something that made him so happy. I've been chasing happiness for the last twenty years and I still haven't found it yet."

"You love him and being with him would make you happy. I know that being with you would make him happy." Lily said.

"How can you be so sure that I love him?" Caroline asked.

"I can see it in your eyes. When you saw me and how much I look like him, your eyes lit up. And Elena also told me that you did." Lily admitted.

Caroline released an exasperated sigh.

"Elena Gilbert is terrible at keeping secrets."

"She only had your best interests at heart. She misses you." Lily said.

Caroline smiled wistfully.

"I miss her too." She finally admitted.

"She's living with us in New Orleans."

"Figures she would run straight to Elijah." Caroline said.

"I want you to come back with us. It's my birthday next week and we're having a ball and I would like to invite you to it." Lily stated boldly.

Caroline just looked at her sadly.

"I know what you're trying to do, Lily, and it isn't going to work. It's very sweet but you have to know that your dad and I are never going to happen. Tomorrow I'll book you and Ella tickets to go home and we'll pretend this didn't happen. You can sleep in the other room for tonight."

And with that the conversation was over. Caroline collected their glasses, showed them their room and bid them goodnight.

"Well that failed." Lily said miserably.

"I don't know," Ella said as she flung herself onto the double bed, "I think you just need to wear her down. She clearly loves Klaus you just need to convince her to take a chance. Show her what she's missing out on by isolating herself."

"How do I do that?" Lily asked frustrated.

"Tomorrow, we'll all go shopping and you can show her how much she is missing by not being a part of your family by being yourself."

Lily pondered Ella's words as they got into bed and started to drift to sleep. She figured she had at least twenty-four hours in which to change Caroline's mind.

And Lily never backed down from a challenge.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! Here's chapter 8! I've attempted some links at the bottom but I'm not sure if they'll work. Also, this fic was inspired by the song Can You Love Me Again? by John Newman. Please listen to it if you don't know it because it just makes me think of Klaroline! I think they'll only be 2 or 3 more chapters after this one and one will be an epilogue. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or followed this story or me! I hope you'll stick with me to the end :)**

**Happy reading guys!**

* * *

Lily woke up to sunshine gently streaming through the pastel-coloured curtains of Caroline's guestroom. Noticing that Ella was still soundly asleep, she got up and went to the bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later and she was ready for the day ahead of her and decided to venture into Caroline's kitchen in search of food. She was slightly surprised to find Caroline already awake and rummaging through the cupboards as it was still early but she didn't complain. She needed all the time she could get to convince her to come home with her.

"Good morning." Lily said, taking a seat at the island in the kitchen.

"Morning. Would you like some breakfast?" Caroline asked, ever the hospitable host despite the fact she would be cooking for the daughter of the infamous Original Hybrid.

He had been plaguing her thoughts ever since she realised exactly who Lily was. Of course, he was always on her mind wherever she went, whatever she was doing but being in close proximity to Lily had triggered a flood of suppressed memories and emotions. She had barely gotten any sleep. And when she had, she had dreamed of him.

"Sure, that sounds nice." Lily mumbled, still unsure about how to act around Caroline.

"I was thinking bacon, eggs and toast. Sound good to you?" Caroline asked. It was weird taking care of someone after being alone for so long. But it was nice.

"Sounds great! Just no marmite on the toast. I hate marmite." Lily said, scrunching her face in distaste.

She missed the smile that spread across Caroline's face as she turned back to the fridge to get the eggs and bacon.

"Me too." Caroline whispered too softly for human ears to pick up.

Sometimes there was companionable silence between them and sometimes they chatted as Caroline cooked and Ella got showered and dressed. Caroline couldn't help but ask Lily questions. After all, it had been nearly eighteen years since she had had any contact with the Mikaelson family and her curiosity burned.

"Not to be rude but what exactly are you?" Caroline asked.

"I get that question a lot and it's a difficult one to answer because nobody really knows. It would be easy to assume I am pure werewolf considering what my parents are but my dad was a vampire before he triggered the curse so there are elements of vampirism in me. I haven't killed anyone so I am not a werewolf yet but it could happen. I hope not though. My mum used to look awful the day after the full moon and she always said she would never wish it on anyone."

"So what are your vampire traits?"

"I think the purest one comes down to my food. I like my meat rare but I can't stomach blood. We try it every year to see if my appetite for it grows but so far it just makes me feel ill. I'm more emotional than normal a teenager which is hard to deal with and I always get my own way. I know that sounds awful but it's kind of like compulsion. I can't compel people but it's easy for me to get things to go the way I want them to. It's pretty handy if I'm going to parties and need to pick up some booze." Lily grinned at her causing Caroline to smile back.

There was something about Lily that Caroline couldn't help but like. She was honest and sweet and funny. She felt a strange pull towards her which made her want to take care of her and bond with her. Perhaps subconsciously she sought her approval because she was Klaus's daughter and she wanted this girl to like her. She pushed that thought away quickly because she knew that seeing Klaus again was impossible no matter how much Lily wanted it to happen.

Ella stepped into the kitchen and began to devour her breakfast, mumbling in approval. They chattered and laughed together and Caroline was reminded of simpler days back home in Mystic Falls when Bonnie was alive. Bonnie, Elena and herself used to just chatter and laugh over breakfast and at sleepovers. The memories made her heart hurt.

"I could only get tickets for a flight which leaves tomorrow at noon so you're gonna be stuck here until then. What do you girls have planned for the day?"

Lily and Ella shared a glance which spoke volumes to Caroline. She knew there was something suspicious afoot.

"We were planning on going shopping for dresses to wear to my birthday party. We could probably use your help." Lily stated nervously.

"Why would you need my help?" Caroline asked, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes, a stance that the two girls were quickly recognising as suspicion.

"Well, you know the city better than both of us and know the best places to go. And Bekah told me about the events you organised in high school so you would know exactly what we're looking for dress-wise." Lily implored.

Caroline knew it wasn't Lily's fault that she was blessed with wide blue-green eyes which were the exact replica of her father's. Caroline knew that it wasn't Lily's fault that she had dimples in her cheeks that popped out at the slightest smile. She also knew that Lily probably wasn't aware that she was giving her the puppy-dog eyes and pleading look that always, without fail, made Caroline crumble and do whatever was asked of her.

"Okay, I'll come with you. I don't have anything better to do anyway." Caroline grumbled before turning away to wash up.

Lily and Ella shared a triumphant smile.

**xoxoxo**

"This is pointless! I look horrible in everything!" Ella squealed, stomping around in front of Caroline who was waiting patiently for the girls to try on their next batch of dresses.

Caroline blinked as she took in Ella's appearance and desperately tried to think of something constructive to say.

"Well, it's not too bad..." She finally said as her fingers tapped the glass of champagne she was holding.

Ella looked at her incredulously.

"Mint green is supposed to be a nice soothing colour, so why do I look like a Christmas confection when I wear it?" Ella yelled.

Her reddened face was just making the Christmas confection image even stronger in Caroline's mind.

They'd been shopping for hours and had had little success. They had tried several stores and boutiques but every dress Lily or Ella tried on just didn't sit right on them, the colour wasn't right or it was just too uncomfortable. The desperation was beginning to show.

Lily stepped out of her dressing room with a gloomy look on her face. He dress clung to her like a brown sack.

"Oh Jesus, Lily! Why on earth would you pick brown? That is the worst colour for a ball ever!" Caroline exclaimed before launching herself to her feet.

"Right girls, get back in your dressing rooms and leave this to me!"

They did as they were told and a few minutes later Caroline returned holding a dress for the each of them. She passed them through wordlessly and waited with bated breath for the results.

Ella was the first to step out and had a stunned look on her face. Her dress was a soft cream and golden colour, off the shoulder and fell to the floor gracefully. It was made from marble-effected taffeta and seemed to shimmer as she moved. It had one shoulder with a bow detail extending from the shoulder across the chest. The colour was an exact match for her hair.

"It's beautiful." Ella whispered.

Before Caroline could respond, they heard the door to the other dressing room open and Lily stepped out to reveal her dress.

Ella and Caroline were both stunned into silence.

"What?" Lily asked nervously, patting down the sides of her dress.

Lily's gown was ice blue and emphasised the thick, darkness of her long chocolate hair and complimented her confusingly coloured eyes. The dress had shoulder straps that clung to Lily tightly and moved down into a light chiffon that flowed and matched each other. It had a vintage and delicate feel to it as the dress flowed from tightly fitting Lily's body to ending in a slight flair around the knee. Although the colour was predominantly a light blue, there were elements of soft grey and dark grey around the bottom of the dress. The bodice sparkled a little from little silver jewels.

"It's perfect." Caroline said, feeling pleased and smiling as she saw Lily smile at herself in the mirror.

"Will you try on one for us, Caroline?" Ella pleaded.

"Oh, I don't know..." Caroline trailed off.

"No, please. We'll pick it out for you, just for a laugh." Lily insisted before dashing off to find the dress she had seen earlier and thought Caroline would look perfect in.

Lily handed her the dress and ushered her into the dressing room, noting the small smile Caroline made as she touched the material.

It had been a long time since Caroline had had girlfriends.

As soon as the door closed, Ella shoved Lily and indicated her phone.

**What are you doing? Your dad dressed her in blue didn't he? –E**

Lily sighed and typed out her reply.

**Yeah, but don't you think red will appeal to his dark side? –L**

Ella frowned and typed back.

**I suppose it would but don't you think blue would be better if he likes her in blue? –E**

**I thought that but I've got a good feeling about this dress. –L**

They both watched as Caroline came out and span for them a bit giggling before disappearing into the changing room again.

**Yeah, I think it's definitely going to work! : ) –E**

Gathering the dresses and leaving Caroline to get changed, Lily took all three over to the cashier and handed over her dad's credit card.

"Make sure the red one stays hidden." Lily said smiling.

**xoxoxo**

After spending the rest of the day shopping for accessories, the three returned to Caroline's apartment and for the first time in a long time she was glad of the company. It had been a nice day and despite her better judgement she was becoming fond of the two of them. Ella was constantly saying things to make them all burst into giggles and Lily was charming and kind, so like Klaus and yet so unlike him too. It made her heart ache for him and she was beginning to see Lily as a real friend.

They ordered pizzas when they got in and opened the snacks and sweets they had picked up from the supermarket. Plopping down in front of the large TV, the girls began to make their way through Caroline's extensive film collection. The slight squabbles over what to watch first and how to share out the food made Caroline reflect wistfully on the girls nights she had spent with Bonnie and Elena over the years and she realised she had missed them so much. She had spent such a large amount of time trying to block out her feelings but being around Ella and Lily made her realise how happy she had been at one time in her life and how sad she was now that it was gone.

She also realised that trying to bury her feelings wasn't going to work. If two strangers could make her happy and laugh in just twenty-four hours, why had she been running for the last eighteen years? What had she even been running from? Was it possible that she could have been happy from the very beginning if only she had followed her heart and not her head?

Caroline was racing towards something she wasn't sure she was ready for yet.

So she avoided it, if only for a little while, by chatting aimlessly with the other two.

"So, are you two seeing anybody?" She asked candidly.

It was funny how in just a short amount of time she was becoming fond of these two girls and viewing them almost as if they were siblings.

She noticed the blush that crept across their cheeks and gasped, nearly flinging popcorn everywhere as she bounced with excitement.

"Spill it! You have to tell me! I haven't had girl talk in years!" She cried.

"Okay, okay. I'm seeing a boy from the school across from us. We go to an all girls' school and there's an all boys one across the way. We come together for assemblies once a week and school dances. I met him at last year's prom." Ella confessed, her blush deepening.

Caroline put a hand to her chest and sighed.

"That's too cute! Okay, now you Lily."

Lily pushed her hair back in embarrassment.

"I'm seeing an older guy; he attends Tulane as a sophomore. He's a bit nerdy and his intelligence I think nearly outstrips my dad's. We met at an open day last year and we've been in contact ever since. He seems unattainable because he's at university but that just makes me like him more." Lily ended bashfully.

Caroline just smirked.

"You are so like your dad." She commented.

Lily blushed but mumbled a confused thank you.

All too soon, it was getting late and Ella and Lily had to turn in for their flight back to New Orleans the next day. Caroline was clearing up when Lily came back into the living room, clad in her sleepwear.

"Caroline?"

"Yeah?"

Lily took a breath.

"I just wanted to say thank you for having us. It's been so nice finally meeting you and getting to know you. I understand why my dad is fascinated by you. I hope we didn't put you out too much. I just wanted to get to know the woman my dad has been in love with since before I was born. I know what he did hurt you but he wouldn't change what he did because I know he loves me but he does regret losing you."

Caroline sighed and opened her mouth to speak but Lily cut her off.

"No, please, let me finish. I love my family very much but even I know that something is missing. Even before my mother died, I knew that something was missing from our family and I know that that person is you. You make my dad happy beyond measure and you have become almost like a sister to me in the short time I've known you. I know we've only just met but I feel like I've known you my whole life and I know you would make our family complete. I understand you don't feel the same but I just wanted you to know."

Lily finished her speech to a stunned Caroline with a smile that displayed those dimples perfectly.

The image of those dimples and Lily turning her back on her caused Caroline to finally take a chance.

"Fine!" She huffed causing Lily to squint at her in confusion.

"I'll come with you! I'll compel myself a place on the plane and I'll see your dad. Happy?"

Although she was huffing and looked irritated, Lily could see the spark pronounced in her eyes and the slight upturned corner of her lips.

She raced across the room to hug her and whispered a fervent thank you into her shoulder.

Caroline tensed before relaxing and hugging her back, the smile still evident on her face.

* * *

carolina_herrera_one-shoulder_marble_taffeta/thing ?context_id=1222202&context_type=lookbook&id=44428585

Ella's dress.

. /search?q=gossip+girl+saints+and+sinners+ball+dresses&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=UMs1Uo6BO8PLhAeZ1oDwBA&biw=1366&bih=667&sei=eMs1UpKTLcTRhAfw7YGwCg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=BQK4kcKrhKj6kM%3A%3BXy0prJqxnJVxpM%3Bhttp%253A%252 F% . %252F_4rIN3lvmY6M%252FTObZCKq1NNI%252FAAAAAAAAE_8% 252F62gjQS5R-t4%252Fs1600%252Fblake%252Blively%252 Bcarolina%252Bherrera%252Bgossip% %3Bhttp%253A%252F% %252F2010%252F11% %3B478%3B475

Lily's dress.


	9. Chapter 9

**Well guys, the end is nigh! This is chapter 9 of my story and the next chapter will be the epilogue. I will have it up by this time next week :) Thanks for all the reviews and follows. I hope that this chapter will live up to your expectations, I am quite proud of it. If you have the time, please drop a review for this chapter. Happy reading! **

* * *

It was obvious that Caroline was nervous. As soon as they had left her apartment and climbed into a taxi, suitcases and bags in hand, Caroline had been continuously drumming her fingers. On her lap in the taxi, on the arm to her chair in the departures lounge of the airport, on the desk where a flight attendant monitored passengers as she compelled her way onto the plane and finally the armrest to her seat on the plane as she stared blankly at the backrest of the seat in front of her. Ella had reached the end of her patience for the continuous noise long ago and sat with her iPod on and flipping idly through a magazine, head bopping to the music. Lily had managed to last much longer but had now reached the end of her tether.

"There's no need to be nervous, Caroline." She said as she turned the page in the novel she was attempting to read but getting distracted from by Caroline's incessant fingers.

Caroline twisted in her seat to face Lily scoffing slightly.

"I'm not nervous," she bluffed, wincing at how high pitched her voice sounded, "I just don't like the middle seat on the plane."

"So swap with me then and have the window." Lily said kindly knowing that Caroline would refuse anyway.

"Oh no, don't worry. There's only three more hours left." Caroline insisted.

Lily shrugged her shoulders returning to her book. She had just reached the part where Darcy was making his terrible marriage proposal to Elizabeth when Caroline's fingers took up their relentless drumming once more. Sighing, Lily closed her book and thanked her lucky stars for having watched the film first and therefore she knew how the book would end. That would have to do for her essay, she thought.

"Caroline, you really don't need to be nervous so stop worrying." Lily said.

Caroline shot her a dirty look.

"Yeah, no need to be nervous about seeing a man for the first time in nearly twenty years. Not to mention having broken said man's heart by telling him flat out that there isn't a chance for him. And let's not forget that said man is a hybrid and could rip my heart out in a single blink."

As Caroline was speaking, her finger drumming increased to supernatural speed and Lily was forced to clamp her hand between her own before other passengers noticed her rising hysteria.

"He won't kill you." Lily said firmly.

"You don't know that." Caroline argued.

"Yes I do. He loves you. He would never kill you." Lily's confidence in her father and his love for Caroline was unshakeable.

"How do you know that...that he loves me?" Caroline asked uncertainly.

Lily flashed back to all the different times her father had spoken of Caroline. He had told her that she was strong and beautiful but riddled with insecurities. Each time he had spoken of her, it had been with such tenderness it had rendered Lily almost speechless. She wasn't the typical child who at a young age had tried to get her parents back together. No, Lily was the girl who had always wished for her father's happiness and, as a very small child, had secretly wished for the majestic Caroline to sweep in and fill the place a mother should in her small family. Hayley had never been particularly maternal with Lily. She had loved her in her own way but had been too young to cope with the responsibility of a child hence why Lily had been raised by Klaus and his siblings. With Hayley's death, the need for a strong family unit had intensified. She knew Caroline would never be her mother but she did want her family complete again and knew that Caroline was the only way of doing this. She wanted Caroline as a real part of her family no matter what form it took and not just as the image her father had created.

For Lily, it was painstakingly obvious that Klaus loved Caroline. She hadn't thought for a second that perhaps it wasn't as clear to Caroline herself.

"I just do. Trust me." Lily said with a broad smile.

Caroline sighed a little before squeezing the hand Lily still had encased within hers and settled back into her seat, eyes fluttering closed.

Although it felt strange not having complete control over the situation, Caroline would just have to take a chance and put her trust in Lily.

This was going to be a long flight.

**xoxoxo**

Lily and Ella fought their way through the crowded and busy airport once they had landed in New Orleans, dragging their suitcases behind them. Caroline was still waiting at the luggage carousel for her suitcase which had been a last minute addition to the flight promising to meet them outside.

Lily took in a lungful of Louisiana air as they finally made their way to the pick-up point, grateful to be home. She loved New York and travelling but she was always happy to come home to New Orleans and the comfort of her own bed. She looked around idly for Elena grinning when she spotted her walking towards them waving and smiling.

"Hey, Elena!" Lily said when she stopped in front of them.

Elena looked around and her happy smile faltered upon discovering Caroline was not there.

"Caroline didn't want to come, I take it?" Elena questioned sadly, a frown marring her features.

Before Lily could open her mouth a flurry of blonde hair and irritation pulled up behind them.

"-such an incompetent airline. Seriously, how long does it take to find one suitcase and get it to the owner? Idiots." Caroline was growling as she found the others. She fell silent as she saw Elena.

Elena and Caroline just stood staring at each other, shock on both of their faces. Suddenly, Elena leapt forward and threw her arms around Caroline pulling her into a bone-crushing hug and burying her face in her neck.

"Oh, Caroline! I thought you weren't coming. I missed you so much." Elena was sobbing.

Caroline was stunned at Elena's reaction. They hadn't parted on good terms after the Elijah debacle and she hadn't even realised that Elena was in New Orleans although, in hindsight, she probably should have known.

Caroline stood still for a moment locked in Elena's embrace. Slowly, she put her own arms around the other girl and hugged her back, squeezing her eyes tightly shut against the tears that threatened to fall.

"I missed you too." Caroline whispered brokenly.

Lily and Ella smiled at the blonde and brunette vampires embracing, almost a mirror image of themselves during the bad times.

As Caroline and Elena withdrew from each other, smiling and laughing with tears in their eyes, Lily knew that what Stefan had told her all those years ago when she asked if he thought Caroline would ever forgive him was true.

The strongest friendships can overcome any obstacle.

**xoxoxo**

Lily's birthday ball finally came a week after Caroline had arrived in New Orleans and had been eagerly anticipated by the birthday girl. Finally, the day had arrived to reunite Klaus and Caroline or Klaroline as Ella had begun to call them, much to Caroline's chagrin.

For the entire week, Caroline had been staying with Ella and her mother. Sophie had proven to be a lovely hostess and was almost as eager for Klaus and Caroline to meet as Lily and Ella were. She felt that she owed Klaus after all he had provided in getting rid of Marcel and allowing witches to practice their magic again. And she loved Caroline. She was gracious and kind and had an infectious smile. Sophie couldn't help but think she was the perfect match for Klaus and his darkness.

Lily patted down the sides to her dress and took one more look at herself in the mirror. She was quite pleased with the dress and made a mental note to thank Caroline again for choosing it. She was just about to reach for her mask when a voice startled her from the doorway and made her turn around.

"Indulge your old man in a dance before the party begins?" Klaus said extending a hand towards his daughter.

Lily smiled at him.

"Emphasis on the old." She said cheekily before placing her hand in his.

They gently swayed to the music that was drifting from the speakers in Lily's bedroom. Klaus spun Lily around making her giggle like she used to when she had danced on his feet as a little girl.

"You look lovely, Lily." Klaus murmured affectionately.

"Thanks, Dad. And thanks for throwing this ball for me. It's going to be wonderful." Lily said earnestly, her mind not exactly focussed on the ball itself but rather a certain someone who would be attending it.

"Of course, sweetheart. You know, this is probably the last time we will get to dance together. After all, you're off to university soon."

Lily grimaced.

"Only if I pass my exams and get accepted, Dad. Besides that's not going to happen for another few months yet."

"Have you thought about which one you want to go to? I'm sure we could get you into Oxford or Cambridge or even an Ivy League school."

"Not really. I just want to enjoy this last year at home before I move away so I haven't given it much thought. I want to spend time with you, Elijah and Bekah. And Stefan and Elena." And Caroline, Lily added mentally to the list of her family.

"Excellent choice. I will miss you when you're gone. When I first found out your mother was carrying you, I wanted to kill you both. But when you were born and you looked at me with those big eyes, I was so thankful I didn't follow through with that threat. You are truly the best thing that has ever happened to me Lily." Klaus said sincerely even though he did look uncomfortable expressing his feelings.

Lily hugged him tightly to her a few tears in her eyes before pulling back with a smile on her face.

"Come on, Dad. Don't get all sentimental on me now. It's supposed to be a party!" She said enthusiastically.

"Indeed it is, sweetheart, but I thought you should know that before you go gallivanting off leaving your old man behind." Klaus said gruffly.

"I will always come back, you know? Home is wherever you are." Lily said with a broad smile.

Klaus cleared his throat and straightened up in his tuxedo. Clearly he had had enough of this heart to heart for one night.

"Yes, well. I shall find you later for the obligatory dance Rebekah has no doubt got in mind for us. Right now I need a drink."

Klaus paced out of the room abruptly leaving a smiling Lily behind. She was used to her father's mood swings by now and knew that it would be best to avoid him for a little while so he could get his emotions hidden once more. God knows how he would react when he saw Caroline again. He would probably greet her with boundless joy or complete neutrality. She hoped it was the former. Knowing Caroline, the latter would cause her to become a puddle of insecurity and anger hidden carefully behind a megawatt smile and a flip of her blonde curls which would only rile her father up more.

Lily sighed, hoping that her dad didn't act like a complete arse tonight and slipped on her beaded mask and tied it securely behind her head. Taking a deep breath and one last look in the mirror, she turned around and made her descent down the staircase to where her guests were waiting.

**xoxoxo **

Lily waited agonisingly for Ella, Sophie and Caroline to arrive. Every time she looked at her phone for the time only a few minutes had passed and she was anxious for them to get to the Mikaelson home. Finally, she caught a glimpse of Ella and Sophie as they entered the party and she hurried over to greet them.

"Hey, where is she?" Lily asked anxiously as she drew up beside them. She caught a glimpse of Rebekah and Stefan laughing and dancing together as she got to them and Elijah and Elena looking deep in pleasant conversation. Klaus was nowhere to be seen.

"Relax, Lil. She's right behind us." Ella said.

Lily scurried past them and outside the house where some guests were milling around. Her eyes caught Caroline standing slightly off to the side nibbling her lip nervously.

She was a vision in her red dress. It was sleeveless and matched the vibrant scarlet she had painted her lips. The bodice was tight and clung almost dangerously low on her chest. The chiffon flowed out at the bottom of the bodice to form a billowing skirt that wasn't too full. It was classy and elegant, perfect for the occasion but not over the top. Her soft blonde curls were pulled into a loose bun at the back of head with a few tendrils framing her face.

"Wow, you look amazing." Lily said sincerely.

"Thanks." Caroline smiled. Her hands clung to her mask as she brought it up to tie it behind her head. When it was secure she took a deep breath and turned to Lily, her ice blue dress the polar opposite to Caroline's fiery red and smiled.

"Let's do this."

Lily smiled back and led her through the foyer of the large house. She was nervous. She knew her father would be pleased to see Caroline but she wasn't sure how he would react to her after all this time. She hoped he would do the right thing and not hurt Caroline. Although they had only known each other a short time, Lily cared about her and didn't want her to get hurt.

It was a blur of tuxedos and brightly coloured dresses to Caroline as she followed Lily across the expansive dance floor. Clearly this room was for entertaining guests and holding parties only for it was large and mostly empty aside from the many dancing couples and teenagers. She wasn't sure why she was preoccupied with what the room's purpose was but figured it was to try and distract herself. Lily expertly weaved through the crowd until they reached the other side of the room and there he was.

Caroline inhaled sharply at the sight of him. He looked exactly the same but even more handsome in his pitch black tuxedo. He had made the effort to gel down his hair a little so it sat neatly and precise on his head, no longer unruly like him. He was smiling and even though his eyes were slightly hidden by the simple black Colombina mask that adorned his face, Caroline knew his eyes would be sparkling. She longed to see them and feel their searing gaze. He turned away from the person he had been conversing with and lazily glanced across the room, his eyes resting on Caroline.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she caught his gaze and saw how his eyes widened at the sight of her. Dimly, she saw Lily slipping away from them but she was frozen to the spot. He continued to stare at her almost to the point of discomfort but then suddenly he was in front of her, ripping his mask off before reaching for her own and tearing hers off too. He stood drinking in her beautiful features as her eyes darted between the two of his.

The silence was so unbearable Caroline knew she would have to break it.

"Hello." She said softly for lack of anything better to say.

Klaus closed his eyes momentarily at the sound of her voice. A barely there smile appeared on his lips and he cocked his head slightly nearer to her, as if listening to beautiful music. His eyes fluttered open again and they were soft and warm as he looked at her.

"Hello, love."

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut. She had spent so long dreaming about his voice it was almost painful to actually listen to it in real life. Her eyes flew open again as she felt him move closer to her, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She could feel the heat of his body flood through her sheer dress causing her to blush.

Klaus held out his hand to her.

"Will you do me the honour of dancing with me?" He asked gently.

Caroline smiled.

"It would be my pleasure."

She watched as his chest puffed out with pride at having her on his arm, the warmness in his eyes as she finally accepted him. It made her heart soar.

They danced slowly with each other, eyes never leaving the others. Caroline chuckled and Klaus rolled his eyes when they heard Ella's whisper of how much eye sex they were having. But the happy moment couldn't last forever.

"Why are you here, Caroline?" Klaus asked warily. He had dreamed of this day but he couldn't help thinking that this was all some ruse that was going to trick him.

"Lily found me in New York and persuaded me to come and see you."

Klaus smiled. So this was what had inspired his daughter to go to New York so suddenly. He should have known it was more than shopping.

"She is beautiful, Klaus. You've done so well in raising her." Caroline said sincerely.

"Thank you. I'm very proud of her."

They danced a little more in silence before Klaus broke it again.

"I have dreamed of this, of seeing you again and holding you in my arms. I gave up hope after a while. I forced myself to accept what you said to me all those years ago, that we would never be together." Klaus said softly averting his gaze from Caroline's blue orbs.

Caroline bit her lip softly with regret in an attempt to stop the sobs longing to break free. Now that she had seen him again she had realised how much she had missed having him around and could kick herself for leaving it for so long before finding him.

"I was wrong. When I said those things, I was hurt and angry. I thought that the only person who had ever put me first had chosen someone else and had enough of me. So I lashed out by pushing you further away and trying to run away from my feelings. But I'm tired of running, Klaus."

Klaus looked down at her, transfixed. He had longed for Caroline to speak these words. Could his fantasies finally be coming true?

"I'm sorry for rejecting you and saying the things that made you lose faith in us, what we could have had. I was young and stupid and easily manipulated. I was wrong to do the terrible things I did to you, using your feelings for me against you. I guess I've always known how I really feel about you and it scares me."

Klaus's eyes drifted down to her ruby red lips as the words she had held back for years came flooding out.

"Everything about you, about us, is so uncertain. I don't know what to expect when I'm with you and it excites me and frustrates me and scares me to death. And although I am uncertain about what the future holds for us, I am certain about my feelings for you and I can't run away from these feelings anymore. I want you, Klaus. I want to be with you no matter what that entails. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up next to you every morning. I can't live anymore without you by my side. So, if you can forgive me and if you'll have me...I promise to always be yours."

Caroline looked up to take in his reaction her eyes clouded with emotion. He could see fear and anxiety but he could also see something else. Love.

Yours. Yours. Yours. Always be yours. Yours. Yours. Yours.

The words rang in his ears as he gazed into her sky blue eyes. He leaned down and kissed her full, pretty red mouth hard and passionately. He could feel her smile beneath his lips.

He pulled back to look at her once more.

"I've waited forever for you, Caroline Forbes. Now that you're mine, I will never let you go." He whispered before kissing her hard again.

He caught Lily tearfully smiling at them and he grinned at her. He had never been this happy before in his entire existence.

Caroline's voice brought his attention back to her.

"You'll be mine too, right?" She asked uncertainly.

He smiled at her insecurity and was more than ready to reassure her.

"I have always been yours, Caroline."

Later, Caroline would talk to Stefan and mend the wounds in their friendship. She would chat to Rebekah and they would form a begrudging acceptance of each other which would later turn to the purest of friendships. She would get to know Elijah and gush about how perfect he and Elena were together. She would pull Lily into a hug and whisper a fervent thank you in her ear.

Klaus would explain to his siblings that they would be seeing a lot more of Caroline. He would smile genuinely for the first time in years and he would re-establish the bond he had had with Stefan during the Twenties. He would dance the obligatory dance Rebekah had set up for him and his daughter and he would gently scold his daughter for meddling whilst grinning infectiously.

But that would all happen later.

Presently, the lovers were enjoying their first embrace, knowing that that they had an eternity together to look forward to.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello Everyone! Well, this is the end! I have had such an amazing time writing this story and I am so very grateful to all of you that have followed, favourited or reviewed. It has meant so much to me to have received such a good reception for this story and towards my own characters. I hope that this epilogue lives up to your expectations. I have been ill for the last few weeks which is why this chapter has been delayed and I do apologise for that!**

**I am planning to write more stories in the future and I have a few ideas buzzing around at the moment. I am still writing The Journey but I have been sidetracked by this story but it just popped in my head and I had to get it out! This story was inspired by a song and I wanted to keep it to 10 chapters. I think I might take this approach in future as it was a great way to write. So to those that have read this, do keep an eye out! I am also considering an all human fic focussed on Klaroline but I am working out the details. I am very much a forever girl and I love the beauty of immortality that Klaus and Caroline represent so writing them as humans would be very different for me as I always see the characters as living forever.**

**A massive thank you to everyone that has reviewed and followed! Waking up to tons of emails from you guys with your responses has been incredible! I have loved every minute of it and I sincerely hope that you continue to read and review not just my stories but also the vast amount that other talented writers have created.**

**Again, a huge thank you to you all! This chapter is dedicated to you, the readers, who, to paraphrase JK Rowling, have stuck with me and this story to the very end.**

* * *

**Five Years Later...**

Caroline awoke to sunlight gently streaming through the windows. Her initial reaction was to snuggle back down into the bed but she quickly realised that she wasn't at home in New Orleans and her eyes snapped open in surprise before she flung her hands over them to block the offending sunlight. The arm that was around her waist tightened and pulled her closer to the warm body it was attached too. Soon, there was a pair of soft lips at her neck kissing her gently accompanied by ticklish stubble and a contented sigh. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"Good morning, baby." Caroline teased.

She felt his scowl at her neck and his indignant growl vibrated against her back, causing her to giggle. She knew he hated being called that. Nevertheless, he still responded to her.

"Good morning, my love."

The giggles faded into silence as Caroline's broad grin softened into a tender smile. She and Klaus had been together for five years and yet the labels boyfriend and girlfriend seemed strangely inappropriate to their relationship. They were so much more than that but there wasn't a label out there that seemed to fit them. It would often lead to teasing debates and nicknames such as the one she had just called him. In other times, it would lead to overt displays of affection where, if she didn't run to their bedroom fast enough, she would end up sprawled upon the surface nearest to them as he rained kisses upon her lips.

But whenever he said 'my love', Caroline's tummy quivered and fluttered. It was much more personal and powerful than the simple 'love' he used to call her. It was possessive and intimate and she liked, no, she loved it when he greeted her that way. She loved him.

She turned around in his arms to look at him and saw that his cerulean eyes were open and a bit bleary from sleep but looking at her warmly. She frowned at him.

"You're staring again." She said playfully.

His trademark smirk widened.

"I just can't help myself, sweetheart. Your beauty captivates me every time I look at you." He said sincerely.

Caroline rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the slight pink flooding her cheeks which only made him smirk wider as he pulled her closer and crushed his lips to hers.

A few minutes later, Caroline pulled away regretfully and chuckled at the frown marring his handsome features. She kissed his forehead gently, smoothing the lines that had appeared there with her lips. Klaus hummed contentedly.

"We have to get up." She said before unceremoniously launching herself out of bed and darting towards the bathroom, leaving Klaus reaching out hopelessly to her.

"Why? We could spend all day in bed getting reacquainted with each other. After all, you were away for a long time, sweetheart, and I don't think last night was enough to satisfy my insatiable appetite for you." Klaus murmured suggestively, patting the side of the bed she had just left.

Heat once again spread to her cheeks and continued to course through her body, setting every nerve on fire and for a minute she was sorely tempted to get back into bed with him and let her hands roam over every inch of skin she had longed to touch whilst she was away. It didn't help that his toned chest was peeking out of the covers, begging for her touch. Before her thoughts could carry on down the dirty path they were on, Caroline yanked herself back to reality and away from her fantasies.

"I was only away for a week in Mystic Falls and you could have come with me, remember? I did invite you."

"Yes, but your mother disapproves of me and I wanted you to have a nice time spent with her." Klaus groaned, knowing that the mood was ruined and Caroline was definitely not getting back into bed with him.

"Exactly and it's your daughter's graduation today so we have to get up and get ready if we want to make it in time." Caroline scolded him.

Klaus jolted back to reality and climbed out of bed, remembering exactly why he and Caroline were in a hotel in Connecticut rather than in their king-size bed back in New Orleans. Lily's graduation from Yale University was today and he had never been more proud. He only regretted not being able to have his way with Caroline once more before they started the day.

As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Caroline stepped closer to him once again and kissed him sensually.

"Play your cards right and you might just get a repeat of last night later." She whispered in his ear before sultrily walking towards the bathroom removing her camisole as she went. Klaus glimpsed the creamy white skin of her naked back before she shut the door firmly behind her. A second later and he could hear the shower running.

He groaned. This was going to be a long day.

**xoxoxo**

Caroline rolled her eyes again and bit her lip to suppress the giggle that was fighting to escape as Klaus launched into another tirade.

"-I mean this is ridiculous! Why is there so much traffic in Connecticut? And New Haven? What a stupid name for a place."

Although the traffic towards the university was quite bad, Caroline knew it wasn't the only reason for his bad mood. Lily's unexpected announcement had been what had triggered this bout of current moodiness on the hybrid's part. Although they had yet to see her, Lily had been sending texts to update them on whereabouts on campus she was as she was running about getting things ready for the ceremony. The latest text had caused a look on Klaus's face that Caroline could only describe as 'miffed'.

"Klaus..." Caroline said gently, laying her hand on his forearm. His grip on the steering wheel relaxed instantly and he sighed at her touch.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Are you sure you're not just upset about the fact that Lily has a boyfriend?" She asked tentatively.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened once more. Bingo.

"Of course not. Why would I care if she had a boyfriend?" Klaus said smoothly which meant he was barely concealing his rage.

"And what about the fact that she is going abroad with Dylan almost straight after the ceremony?" Caroline pressed.

"She's a grown woman now. She can do whatever she likes." Klaus insisted but Caroline didn't miss the way he winced as he said it.

She squeezed his arm reassuringly and Klaus sighed. He knew he couldn't conceal anything from his Caroline. They knew each other so well that secrets were redundant in their relationship. Well, all except one, he thought as his mind flicked to the box that was currently burning a hole in his suit jacket pocket.

They drove in companionable silence for a few minutes more before it was broken once again by Klaus's grumbling.

"What kind of man has a name like Dylan, anyway? Why couldn't she have picked someone with a strong name like James or Matthew or Luke-"

"Those are very biblical names." Caroline commented, effectively cutting him off.

"Exactly!" Klaus cried.

"Isn't it a bit hypocritical that you want her to be dating someone pure and honest considering you're pretty much as bad as it gets?" Caroline questioned.

Klaus opened and shut his mouth, for once unable to come up with a defence. Caroline smiled triumphantly. She settled back into the passenger seat and returned to gazing out of the window at the scenery that flashed past them as the traffic finally began to ease up.

"Dylan is a ridiculous name." Klaus grumbled as the car launched forward.

Caroline just shook her head.

**xoxoxo **

"Dad! Caroline!"

Klaus looked over to see his little girl waving enthusiastically from across the visitors' car park. She had a huge smile on her face and her chocolate brown hair was streaming behind her as she made her way over to them. She turned back briefly to a boy stood beside her and grasped his hand to pull him along with her.

Lily enveloped Caroline in a hug as soon as they were close enough before quickly giving the same to Klaus. She stepped back and cleared her throat nervously.

"Dad, Caroline this is my boyfriend, Dylan."

Dylan stepped forward holding his hand out confidently to Klaus. He was dressed smartly in a black tailored suit and tie underneath his black robes with purple lining his hood indicating his field of study was Law, like Lily's. He had brown hair that appeared to be untidy no matter how much gel or product the guy put into it which, from Klaus's point of view, was a lot.

"Mr. Mikaelson, it's great to finally meet you." Dylan said politely.

Klaus grasped his hand, squeezing just tight enough to make Dylan wince a little in pain. He smirked at the obvious discomfort the boy was in.

"Likewise." He uttered, as politely as possible as he glanced over to his daughter and Caroline.

Lily seemed relieved at how the introduction had gone but Klaus could see the look of disapproval on Caroline's face. He hastily dropped Dylan's hand as she crossed her arms, knowing if he held it any longer she would be quite likely to leap down his throat and berate him.

Dylan turned to Caroline with a huge smile on his face.

"Miss Forbes, it's so nice to meet you. Lily has told me a lot about you."

Caroline giggled and wrapped him in a hug, causing a scowl to erupt on Klaus's face.

"Please, call me Caroline." She insisted.

"Stefan, Bekah, Elijah and Elena are already here. Dylan, can you take my dad over to them, I just need to grab something from Caroline?"

Dylan looked terrified but nodded feebly and made his way back to where they had come from with Klaus falling into step beside him. Klaus shot Caroline a look of glee as they went past and she had a sinking feeling that poor Dylan was about to be in for a terrible interrogation.

Caroline turned to Lily who had an anxious look on her face.

"What's up?" Caroline asked concerned.

"I told Dylan everything about you and the rest of the family." Lily confessed, wringing her hands together.

Caroline was surprised.

"Oh, how did he take it?" She asked.

"Really well," Lily beamed, "It didn't seem to faze him at all. He asked a lot of questions but he seems okay with it and I told him I wanted to turn."

Caroline gaped in shock.

"You want to turn? Are sure about this? You're only twenty-two, Lily. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

Lily sighed.

"I know that but I want to do this. You and I both know Dad would turn me eventually because he can't bear the thought of losing me and truthfully it's something I've been considering for a while."

"But why? Don't you want to live a normal live, get married and have kids?" Caroline asked.

"There's nothing I want more than to be able to live forever with the people I love." Lily countered.

"It's a lot to give up. I would know." Caroline said.

"But do you regret it? Any of it? If you could become human again, would you?" Lily asked.

Caroline thought about it before answering her. For most of her life in Mystic Falls, all she had wanted was to get married and have a whole bunch of kids, to have the opportunity to have the family she hadn't had growing up. But then Katherine had come along and changed all that, ripped it away from her. Caroline had been devastated. But then she realised that she could be so much more than normal. She could be extraordinary and Klaus made sure that she knew this every day they were together. The truth was she loved who she was now rather than the girl she used to be. She didn't want to become insecure, neurotic, always picked second Caroline again.

"No." Caroline finally admitted.

Lily smiled.

"I'm human. Somehow, the daughter of a werewolf and a hybrid was born a human. This means I will eventually die. But I don't want that. I want a forever and I want a forever love like the one you have with dad." Lily confessed.

Caroline turned to look at her sharply and crossed her arms.

"What exactly are you asking me, Lily?"

"I'm asking you to turn me."

A long beat of silence followed where everything around them could be heard clearly. Students laughing, parents bustling around and birds chirping.

"Is this something that you really want?" Caroline asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes." Lily said without hesitation.

"Okay. I'll turn you but only after you have asked your dad." Caroline said firmly.

Lily smiled and hugged her and together they made their way towards their family.

"Why did you ask me and not your dad to turn you?" Caroline asked, the curiosity burning through her voice.

"I love my family but they aren't like you. Controlled. Out of them all, you're the only one that can hold onto your humanity with the most success. I admire you, Caroline, and as a vampire I would like to be like you and I think you being the one to turn me would give me a good start." Lily said simply.

Caroline was stunned but smiled softly at her as they walked peacefully together.

**xoxoxo **

Klaus watched as the long throng of students made their individual paths across the stage, shook hands with the Chancellor, got that very expensive piece of paper and marched off into the future goofy grins present on their faces. He could see Lily get closer to the front of the line and gave her an encouraging smile as she glanced nervously in his direction. She never had liked being the centre of attention. It was odd really considering her parents and most of her family soaked up as much attention as they could get but it made her stand out from the rest of them. The quiet, reserved and intelligent daughter of the infamous evil Hybrid.

His heart swelled with pride as he saw her walk across the stage, her face going red and briefly pausing to get the symbolic photo of her shaking hands with the Chancellor. Klaus chuckled as he saw the sigh of relief that escaped her as Lily exited the stage. Caroline grasped his hand and he turned to see tears in her eyes as she watched his daughter. If it were possible his heart grew even bigger. He knew Caroline loved Lily nearly as much as he did but it always made him happy whenever she showed signs of her love towards her. It surprised him how well they got on. Twenty-two years ago he never would have believed that Caroline would be in his life and love his daughter but she did and it proved just how amazing she really was.

He reflected back on his daughter's request from earlier in the day. After her talk with Caroline, she had spoken to him straight away about becoming a vampire. He had pretended to have concerns but secretly he was elated that she had decided to stay with him forever, another sign that he could have love and family even though Mikael had made him feel like he was unworthy of both for all of his life. He had said yes almost instantaneously but under one condition. She could only turn after she had returned to New Orleans from her tour of Europe with Dylan. That way she would be able to learn to control her bloodlust in her own home. Lily had agreed straight away before hugging him once more and skipping off with her boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

The word made him scoff. Dylan had managed to hold his own against Klaus's relentless interrogation about 'his intentions' towards Lily. But that still didn't make him worthy of her. Klaus doubted anyone would ever be worthy of her. But he let it slide for Lily's sake because for some reason Dylan made Lily happy. Klaus couldn't fathom why.

Suddenly, the ceremony was over and parents were surging to their feet.

"Oh, I'm so proud of her! My niece, the lawyer!" Rebekah cried, wiping her eyes and gripping onto Stefan's arm.

"She's not a lawyer yet, sister. She has to pass the bar and all sorts before she can practice law." Elijah clarified as he linked his hands with Elena's.

"Nevertheless, I am still proud of her. You know she's the only one of us who has been to university?" Rebekah said.

"Well that's not true. Caroline and I went to Whitmore." Elena said.

"Yeah, but we dropped out after a semester in favour of travelling and because our roommate was a psycho vampire hunter who tried to kill us." Caroline remarked drily.

Elena frowned.

"You're forgetting the fun we had whilst we were actually there! The drink, the lectures, the boys..." Elena trailed of suggestively.

Elijah and Klaus had matching scowls on their faces at the thought of their girls' being pawed at by fraternity boys.

"I choose not to think about the boys at college. Pervy Peter followed me around the whole time. It was creepy." Caroline muttered.

Elena just rolled her eyes before squeezing Elijah's hand reassuringly.

The Mikaelson family and their partners made their way over to the large hall that would be serving drinks to the new graduates and their families. Lily was already waiting for them, Dylan by her side.

The family rushed over to congratulate the two of them and the evening began to fly by. A few hours later Klaus pulled Caroline to one side.

"Walk with me, my love?" He said and her insides melted.

"Of course." Caroline said and slipped her hand into his.

They left the others in the large hall where Elijah and Stefan were conversing with Dylan who looked as if he wasn't sure if he should be uncomfortable or not. The ladies were talking animatedly about Lily's European tour with Rebekah recommending many places for her to go to.

The couple walked hand in hand around the grounds surrounding Yale. The evening was warm and the sky was streaked with orange and pink as the sun began to set. It would probably be one of the last warm evenings before autumn set in.

"It's beautiful here. I totally get why Lily decided to come to Yale now."

Lily had been accepted into Columbia and Harvard as well as other universities. Caroline had always wondered why she had chosen Yale over Harvard but one look at the scenery and incredible buildings that formed the campus and Caroline could see there were many reasons to pick Yale.

"Have you ever thought about going to university again, Caroline?" Klaus asked.

"Oh, I think the time has passed for college." Caroline replied.

Klaus took a breath. This was it, he thought and pulled out his trademark smirk.

"Oh, I don't know. Caroline Mikaelson, Harvard graduate. I could make it happen you know." He said, the words coming out perfectly despite his nervousness.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed, not yet catching on to what he was saying.

"I know you could make that happen! But if I were to go to college again, it would have to be Tulane so that I could be close to you and..." She trailed off, his words finally sinking in.

Caroline looked up to see Klaus's eyes sparkling with affection and mischief, an amused expression on his face. A direct contrast to her shocked one.

"What?" She whispered, her eyes were confused but her lips were pulled up in a smile.

Klaus sighed. He had hoped she would just say yes, take the ring and then they could go back to the hotel and she could show him how happy she was. It looked like he would have to do this the old-fashioned way, something he had hoped to avoid because he hated expressing his feelings.

He got down on one knee and revelled in the short gasp that escaped her lips. Klaus pulled out the box in his jacket pocket, popping it open and revealing a magnificent princess-cut diamond ring with diamonds encrusted in the band. It was beautiful.

Klaus cleared his throat.

"Caroline, before I met you, twenty-three years ago, I was surrounded by nothing but darkness. I was a monster. But you shone your light on me and forced me to become a better man so that I could be worthy of you. Sometimes I can still be a monster but you always bring me back from the edge. I have done a lot of terrible and unforgiveable things but somehow you look past all of that and accept me. You've welcomed my family as your own and they in turn have welcomed you. I know we aren't perfect and some days you drive me completely insane but I cannot live without you. To make you an official Mikaelson, to make you officially mine, would make me the happiest man on earth and I promise I will make you equally as happy for the rest of eternity. So, Caroline Forbes, will you do me the honour of marrying me and becoming my wife?"

Caroline was absolutely stunned. She never thought Klaus would ever propose to her. He was always advocating the benefits of immortality and the freedom from human conventions it provided and she thought that something as traditional as marriage would be far from his mind. But here he was, the Original Hybrid, kneeling down on one knee in front of her anxiously awaiting the answer to that world renowned question. And there was only one answer she could ever give him.

"Yes." Caroline whispered and launched herself at him, planting kisses all over his face as the tears she had been trying to hold back broke free.

Klaus was so surprised he nearly dropped her as she landed in his arms.

"Really?" He asked hoarsely, his throat tight with emotion.

Caroline grinned at him.

"Yes! Yes, I will marry you!" She cried and continued kissing him.

Klaus managed to pull the ring out of the pretty box it had been kept in for the last few weeks and placed it on her shaking left hand.

"You'll never get rid of me now. You're mine. " He whispered into her ear and rained kisses onto her sunshine hair.

A shiver went through her as Caroline heard the possessiveness in his voice.

"I will always be yours, Niklaus Mikaelson." She said softly and relished in the groan that escaped him as she used his full name.

Klaus captured her lips with his again before breaking away and leaning his forehead against hers, both closing their eyes. The air around them was peaceful and happy and they could hear the happy chatter of their family not too far away. They basked in their joint happiness for a few more moments before Caroline broke the silence.

"By the way, I think Caroline Forbes-Mikaelson has a better ring to it, don't you?"

Klaus just laughed before lifting her up and spinning her around and causing Caroline to laugh uncontrollably, both so blissfully happy.

**xoxoxo**

The next day, the Mikaelson family along with Dylan and their various luggages made their way to the airport. Dylan and Lily were flying to Paris first of all having heard so much about the wonderful city from Rebekah and Elena. Klaus had grit his teeth when he heard his daughter was flying to the City of Love but managed to hold his tongue after a glare from Caroline. Klaus was returning to New Orleans with Elijah and Stefan whereas Rebekah, Caroline and Elena were taking a quick flight to New York to peruse wedding dresses by Vera Wang. Klaus and Caroline hadn't minded a long engagement but with some persuasion and threatening from Rebekah had opted for a wedding that would be held in New Orleans in four months time, allowing for Lily to attend the wedding after her three month trip across Europe with Dylan. Lily, Elena and Rebekah were to be bridesmaids and were all very excited about it.

"I'm so upset I can't look at dresses with you all!" Lily pouted as she was hugging them all goodbye.

"Don't worry, Lily. The sights in Paris will more than make up for it." Rebekah assured her niece.

"Besides, I would not want to be around these three whilst they try to plan a wedding in four months." Stefan quipped, earning a punch from all them.

The laughter was interrupted as Dylan and Lily's flight was called.

Caroline stepped forward, hugging Lily tight and trying not to cry.

"I'm going to miss you, so much." Caroline said earnestly.

Lily hugged her back, squeezing her eyes against the tears. She would miss them all so much.

After a heartfelt goodbye with everyone else, Klaus took his daughter to the side and wrapped her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Stay safe." He only said two words but Lily got the meaning behind them. Neither of them were very good with expressing their emotions but with those words she knew he was saying he loved her and would miss her.

"I will." She responded which he took to mean 'I love you too'.

Lily took Dylan's hand and together they made their way to the airport terminal.

"You ready?" He said, smiling widely with eyes filled with affection.

Lily squeezed his hand, all of her reservations melting away when she met his gaze.

"More than ready." She grinned at him.

She turned back to get one last gaze of the people she was leaving behind, fiddling with her camera. She snapped the shot before she could even get a proper glance at them but when she lowered her camera, she knew it had been perfect.

All six members of her family were smiling and waving at her. Elena and Elijah's arms were linked together and they were beaming as they waved with their free hands. Rebekah was tucked under Stefan's arm as she sniffled a little but smiled and waved happily through her tears. Stefan was smiling broadly at them, his hair still in perfect condition despite the fact that he kept running his hands through it whenever Rebekah mentioned yet another wedding topic.

Lily's eyes slid over the final couple and she couldn't help but grin when she saw them. They too were smiling and waving. Klaus had his left arm around Caroline's shoulders with her head resting just below his and her right arm around his waist. As she waved, the ring upon her hand dazzled in the setting sun. Their smiles were wide and genuine and Lily was certain she had never seen her dad as happy as he was now. He nodded his head to her, a silent thank you for bringing Caroline back into his life.

As she was about to turn away the clouds moved in the sky outside and allowed the sun to illuminate the family, casting a glow around them. In that moment, Lily was certain she saw Bonnie and Kol laughing from behind her family, their arms wrapped around each other. A split second later and they were gone.

Lily smiled and waved one last time, her eyes lingering on Klaus and Caroline who had turned to look at each other. The love in their eyes was breathtaking and Lily was thankful for every decision she had made that had led to this moment because if their forever was going to be so perfect, why wait for it to begin?

**The End.**


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